Social and Legal Studios
ISSN 2617-4162
e-ISSN 2617-4170
Publisher: Lviv State University of Internal Affairs
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to comprehensively assess the European Union’s climate migration policy in terms of its compliance with international human rights standards. The research a structured qualitative methodology was applied, combining doctrinal legal analysis, comparative policy evaluation, and critical interpretation of official and non- governmental reporting. The study found that while European Union institutions demonstrate a growing recognition of climate change as a driver of migration, a significant gap persists due to the lack of a clear legal status for climate migrants within the European Union framework. Existing legal instruments were found to be inadequately adapted to the specific needs of those displaced primarily by environmental factors, creating a protection vacuum. Analysis of international reports confirmed the escalating scale of the issue, with, for example, 83.4 million internally displaced persons globally by the end of 2024, 9.8 million of these due to natural disasters. The European Union’s practical measures, while including humanitarian aid and funding for adaptation, were often characterised as short-term and insufficient to address the root causes or long-term protection needs. It was established that the dominant European Union discourse frames climate migration primarily as a humanitarian or security challenge, rather than a comprehensive human rights issue, a stance that has drawn consistent criticism from non-governmental organisations for prioritising border control over humanitarian principles. The study identified this discursive framing as a central barrier to systemic legal reform and, based on a comparative legal analysis and institutional policy review, formulated concrete recommendations for transitioning to a humanistic paradigm in the European Union’s climate migration policy, thereby determining the practical significance of the research
Keywords: international protection; environmental change; global warming; internally displaced person; legal norms
Suggested citation
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