Excerpt from a report on “climate migration” written by Lainie Nichols and published by Citizens for Public Justice on Aug. 21, 2025

The climate crisis, environmental destruction, and extreme weather events are major forces driving modern mi­gration trends. Around the world, people are increasingly forced to relocate due to extreme weather events such as hurricanes, wildfires, and tsunamis, as well as slow-onset environmental changes including rising sea levels and prolonged droughts. Individuals who migrate for environmental reasons are referred to as environmental or climate migrants. Specifically, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) defines environmental mi­grants as “...persons or groups of persons who, predominantly for reasons of sudden or progressive change in the environment that adversely affects their lives or living conditions, are obliged to leave their habitual homes, or choose to do so, either temporarily or permanently, and who move either within their country or abroad.”

In 1990, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that global heating would become the primary driver of migration. Today, this prediction is an increasing reality. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), climate-related disasters have displaced 220 million people over the past decade, an average of 60,000 people per day.Recent events illustrate the scale and urgency of this crisis. In 2022, unprecedented rainfall and flash floods in Pakistan displaced 7.9 million people. The following year, So­malia entered a severe drought, triggering widespread famine that forced 3.8 million people from their homes. Even Canadian residents have experienced environmental migration. In 2023, devastating wildfires displaced 200,000 people, with British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec among the most affected regions. Looking ahead, the UNHCR warns that the number of countries facing extreme climate hazards will surge from three to 65 by 2040. As the agency states, “climate change is the defining crisis of our time, and displacement is one of its most devastating consequences.” Without action, this phenomenon will intensify, further destabilizing vulnera­ble communities and deepening the humanitarian toll….

MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES ON THE FRONTLINES OF CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT

Often described as a “threat multiplier,” the climate crisis exacerbates social, economic, and political in­stability, disproportionately affecting equity-seeking communities. Those already facing poverty, social inequities, and precarious and inadequate infrastruc­ture are particularly vulnerable when environmental disasters occur. According to the IOM, this heightened vulnerability arises because marginalized groups often lack the resources necessary to prepare for, respond to, or recover from climate-related disasters.Among those disproportionately affected populations are people who identify as 2SLGBTQQIA+, people living with disabilities, people experiencing poverty, peo­ple with precarious immigration or citizenship status, Indigenous Peoples, children, and seniors.Notably, reports indicate that women and girls are particularly vulnerable to risks associated with climate-related migration. As UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem explains, gender-based violence is deeply intertwined with “socio-political and economic phenomena, including armed conflict, displacement, and resource scarcity”, and when combined with climate change, it leads to “the feminization and intensification of vulnerability.” Additionally, Alsalem reveals that climate change not only exacerbates all forms of gender-based violence but also weakens protection systems, making preven­tion and response even more challenging.

GAPS IN CANADA’S POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MIGRATION

Currently, Canada has no formal legal pathway to grant asylum to individuals displaced by climate change. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which outlines the principles governing Canada’s immigration and refugee system, does not include provisions for those fleeing climate-related disasters.17 This omission stems from Canada’s adherence to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, which defines a ref­ugee as “someone outside their country of nationality, or habitual residence, that cannot return owing to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.” Since climate displace­ment does not fall under these categories, individuals fleeing environmental disasters are not recognized as refugees under Canadian law and therefore cannot claim asylum.

However, Philippe A. Gagnon and Alexia Lagacé-Roy note in a publication for the Library of Parliament that Canada has a precedent of responding to international natural disasters. Gagnon and Lagacé-Roy explain that “after the earthquakes in Haiti in 2010 and in Nepal in 2015, Canada admitted some of the people affect­ed and temporarily allowed others already in Canada to remain in the country.”Despite these instances, Canada has no consistent policy for climate migrants. In 2019, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship stated that climate-related asylum claims would be assessed on a case-by-case basis rather than through a formal legal framework. To ensure an ef­fective response to climate-induced migration, Canada must create a consistent legal framework rather than relying on ad hoc measures.

Read the full report.