Protecting migrants’ rights in the context of climate change, environmental degradation and disasters

Climate change, environmental degradation, and disasters adversely impact the well-being and rights of migrants and their communities. They often act as drivers of displacement, erode access to basic rights and increase protection risks. They may also leave people trapped or immobile in degraded areas, exacerbating poverty and exposure to environmental shocks. As such, they are risk multipliers, which can compound pre-existing vulnerabilities and weaken resilience. Those who are already marginalized, live in precarious conditions and have fewer resources are most acutely affected. 

That is why ensuring the protection of the rights of migrants and affected communities is central to IOM’s climate action. IOM’s work in this field is steered by its strategic priorities, the Institutional Strategy on Migration, Environment and Climate Change (2021-2030) and IOM’s Approach to Protection.

Focusing on the strong intersection between protection and environmental migration, this thematic paper emphasizes the centrality of protection in IOM’s climate action, outlines IOM’s vision in this area and presents case studies from the field.