It’s time countries took climate-linked migration seriously

Climate talks must take increased human mobility into account, argues the head of the International Organization for Migration 

By William Lacy Swing 

Key policy decisions on climate change must be considered as important migration policy decisions.

The climate is increasingly central to effective responses to contemporary migration concerns, just as migration can assist efforts to adapt to a warming world.

We live in an era of the greatest human movement in recorded history.

Over 232 million people call another country their home. Inside borders, matters are even more startling.

Gallup research has shown that around 1 in 10 adults moved places in the past five years alone – that is 5 per cent of humanity. Internal and international migrants make up more than 1 in 7 of the world population.

Migration is a tremendous asset to all societies: It underpins, for instance, the agility of the world’s most robust economies where people “follow the jobs” in the ebb and flow of commercial cycles, diffusing employment-based pressures and optimizing productivity.

At an international level, migration also makes a very significant contribution to poverty reduction.

The remittances sent to developing countries are already in excess of USD 400 billion a year, or more than three times official development aid. And diasporas contribute through investments, businesses and know-how transfers between home and destination countries.

Wide benefits

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) mission is to support governments and partners to maximize the benefits of migration and minimize its risks, particularly those to which migrants are exposed.

The IOM Council, the Organization’s highest authority, met at the end of November and addressed the question of migration, climate and environment.

This was the first time that the topic had been addressed at the Council level – this is a clear sign of increased awareness at the policy level about the linkages between climate and migration.

The Organization has been engaged for the last 20 years in bridging the gap between environmental and migration concerns.

The partnerships that were strengthened on this occasion with the Climate Vulnerable Forum, as well as with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the World Meteorological Organization, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and the United Nations Environment Programme, all show a shared spirit of cooperation.

Climate and migration are two policy areas that need to be considered together in terms of political engagement and action.

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