Legal and policy challenges and responses to environmentally induced migration

The study should address among others, the following aspects: • include updated data and information on the impact of climate change (CC) on migration and human displacements, on the basis of the best available sources at international, European and national level; examine the new trends and dynamics, especially the circular effect of climate change (already conflict-torn countries are more vulnerable to CC as less likely to adapt; and countries most affected by CC are more likely to become conflict-torn due to competition on scarce resources); refer to the most recent and acknowledged scientific, academic, institutional sources and expertise; including scenarios/predictions about human displacement due to climate change; • briefly examine the progress and developments that took place in the academic, legal, policy and political debate and practice since the publication of the 2011 study in terms of definitions, policy and legal gaps; • discuss relevant solutions, focusing on how the EU legal and policy framework could be used/modified in order to deal with current protection gaps for environmentally induced migration (including other ideas for mobility like humanitarian corridors, resettlement, labour mobility etc.). It should take into account the way various levels of law and policy - international, EU, EU Member States, third countries –interact, with view to coherence and ensuring protection of people in need due to climate/environment change/disasters; • on the basis of the research conducted, the study shall put forward concrete recommendations and policy proposals on how legislation might be amended and/or improved or policies changed to ensure the protection of displaced persons, taking into account that complex policies require complex solutions and focusing on protection needs (Kälin 2010) and not on politics of causal attribution; • the discussion and the policy recommendations should take the discussion of climate justice and gender justice into account, including more general human rights obligations to which States are bound by international law;