Abstract
Drivers of mass migration occur at the intersection of multiple crises: conflicts, climate change, disasters, poverty, persecution, discrimination, and socio-economic inequality. Migration also frequently triggers a manufactured crisis narrative within receiving countries, particularly when it involves the exodus and arrival of refugees, as with the 2015 European ‘refugee crisis’. The construction of migration as crisis is then commonly conflated with political crises: of state security, the economy, national sovereignty, cultural and religious identity, (un)employment, and strain on infrastructure and resources, including healthcare and housing. The result is increased politicisation and securitisation of global mobility policies and discourses. While mass movements of people triggered by climate change and related disasters is expected to comprise predominantly internal migration, its impact will nonetheless be immense. The World Bank, for example, predicts that up to 216 million people could be displaced by 2050 without urgent action, largely justifying the crisis label. This paper explores the implications and opportunities afforded by a conflated crisis framing of migration and climate change. Will mass displacements of people lead to ever-widening global inequalities, conflicts and increasing securitisation of borders? Or can a climate justice movement create opportunities for new cross-border solidarities and social and environmental resilience?
Presenters
Karen BlockPrincipal Research Fellow: Community Engagement and Social Health Research, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2024 Special Focus—The Future We Want: Socio-Environmental Challenges in Times of Climate Emergency
KEYWORDS
Climate, Migration, Crisis, Opportunity, Resilience
