Climate Migration and Legal Protection: Addressing the Vulnerability of Environmentally Displaced Populations

Climate migration has become a critical global issue, forcing millions of people to leave their homes due to environmental degradation, extreme weather, and slow-onset disasters like rising sea levels and prolonged droughts. In the same way as refugees fleeing war or economic crisis, climate migrants face life-threatening risks, even though their displacement is caused by environmental degradation, extreme weather, and climate-related disasters. This article explores the environmental causes of displacement, including deforestation, industrial pollution, global warming, and unsustainable farming practices, and highlights the extreme vulnerability of displaced populations in host countries, where legal protections are often limited or ambiguous. It also examines global migration patterns, particularly dangerous journeys to Europe, reviewing the international legal frameworks that protect migrants, such as refugee status and the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. Finally, the study outlines sustainable strategies, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, supporting these migrants in adapting to the impacts of climate change, and creating safe migration pathways, emphasizing the urgent need for global cooperation to address climate-related displacement.