Climate Refugees, Reasons for Acceptance A change in the philosophical debate

Abstract

Climate change will generate an unprecedented number of displaced. In this thesis, I discuss the moral character of these displaced individuals — namely, climate refugees. First, I try to find an answer whether climate refugees can be considered refugees. And then, I try to give reasons why refugees, and climate refugees in particular, should be welcomed and accepted in a recipient country. In order to do this, I investigate the very notion of refugee, trying to come up with a definition that includes all the individuals with unsolvable human rights problems in their country of origin. Then, I show that climate refugees, as the people with unsolvable human rights problems generated by the consequences of climate change, respect the criteria to be considered refugees. Considering these individuals as refugees will generate some consistent changes and challenges in their reception — mainly, a significant change in the numbers of displaced and in the causal genesis of their displacement. These changes will substantially interfere when taking into account the reasons for the acceptance of refugees. In conclusion, I will argue that climate refugees are refugees, and there are reasons to accept them.