What the 2025-26 Federal Budget means for people seeking asylum
The 2025-26 Federal Budget has been handed down and the disparity between $20 million in financial support for people seeking… Read More
As we mark Earth Day, it’s essential to recognise the growing crisis of people displaced by the impacts of climate change.
The changing climate is not just an environmental issue; it’s a humanitarian one, and one that disproportionately affects vulnerable communities around the world.
The Asylum Seekers Centre stands in solidarity with people who are forced to flee their homes due to environmental degradation, and we urge the global community to recognise and act upon the urgent need for support and protection for climate refugees.
Who are climate refugees?
The term “climate refugee” refers to individuals or communities forced to leave their homes due to environmental factors caused by climate change. This includes rising sea levels, extreme weather events like floods, droughts, wildfires, and desertification.
However, the term is not yet officially recognised under international law or the 1951 Refugee Convention, leaving many of these individuals without the protections that refugees fleeing conflict or persecution receive.
Unlike other forms of displacement, climate-induced displacement often doesn’t involve crossing borders, meaning that millions of people remain within their own countries, seeking shelter in cities or other regions. Nevertheless, some are forced to cross borders in search of safety, adding a complex layer to the refugee crisis.
The global impact
Climate change doesn’t affect all communities equally. The world’s poorest countries, many of which have contributed the least to global greenhouse gas emissions, are the hardest hit.
Countries in the Global South are the most vulnerable to climate change, despite contributing little to global emissions. Nations such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, Chad, and South Sudan face severe impacts from climate change, including extreme weather events like floods, droughts, and heatwaves, which are driving displacement.
Pakistan, for example, is one of the highest disaster-risk countries globally, with recent catastrophic floods displacing millions. Similarly, countries like Afghanistan and Somalia, already struggling with conflict, are seeing climate change exacerbate food insecurity and water shortages, pushing more people to flee their homes.
By 2050, ongoing global climate change is expected to trigger adverse events that will affect around 143 million people in the Global South, according to scientists.
Why climate-related displacement matters
Understanding climate-related displacement is critical to addressing the broader impacts of climate change.
It’s not just about people being displaced—it’s about the disruption of entire communities, cultural identities, loss of livelihoods, and the breakdown of social structures.
In 2023, more than 40 million people were displaced by weather-related events globally, as reported by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. As climate change accelerates, the number of people affected will only continue to rise.
Recognising climate-related displacement as a pressing issue is essential for shaping global climate action. It is equally vital to facilitate migration with dignity for those who wish to move.
Call for action: Compassion over cruelty
Climate change is a matter of justice. At the Asylum Seekers Centre, we believe that when we celebrate Earth Day, we also commit to protecting the people most affected by the climate crisis.
We must push for legal recognition of climate refugees, ensuring that international agreements and protections extend to those displaced by environmental factors.
Climate justice is human justice—let’s act together to protect both.
To stay updated on our advocacy, community stories and more sign up to our newsletter today:
To learn more about climate and displacement:
2024 Global Report on Internal Displacement
Climate-induced migration in the Global South: an in depth analysis
Kaldor Centre Principles on Climate Mobility
UNHCR Climate change and displacement: the myths and the facts
