Estudiante

Legal protection of the people at risk of climateinduced cross-border displacement: application of the 1951 Refugee Convention

By Mariya Gromilova
158406

A thesis submitted to the Tilburg University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Masters in International and European Public Law: Accent Human Rights

Tilburg University 2011

Table of ContentsIntroduction .....................................................................................................................................3 1. Climate change and cross-border displacement ..........................................................................6 1.1. Introduction..............................................................................................................................6 1.2. The linkage between climate change and cross-border displacement......................................6 1.3. Problems that arise in the case of the cross-border migration................................................11 1.3.1. Political problems ................................................................................................................12 1.3.2. Economicproblems .............................................................................................................13 1.3.3. Social problems ...................................................................................................................14 1.4. Conclusion..............................................................................................................................15 2. The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees ..........................................................16 2.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................16 2.2. The overview of the 1951 Refugee Convention.....................................................................162.3. Refugee definition under the Refugee Convention ................................................................18 2.4. Definition of environmentally displaced people ....................................................................20 2.5. Obstacles in applying the Refugee Convention for the protection of environmentally displacedpeoples...........................................................................................................................23 2.5.1. Persecution ..........................................................................................................................24 2.5.2. Grounds of the persecution..................................................................................................25 2.5.3. Right toreturn......................................................................................................................27 2.5.4. Other obstacles ....................................................................................................................27 2.6. Conclusion ..............................................................................................................................28 3.Tackling the issue of climate induced displacement .................................................................29 3.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................29 3.2. The case of climate induced migration from Bangladesh to India .........................................29 3.3. Ways to protectclimate migrants ...........................................................................................33 3.3.1. Expanding the Refugee Convention ....................................................................................33 3.3.2. Solutions within the UNFCCC ............................................................................................34 3.3.3. Creation of a new...