ADAPTAR Project – Derecho Climático Europeo

Dissemination of ADAPTAR Results

1. International seminar: Climate-induced migration: recent trends and future directions, Centre D’Estudis De Dret Ambiental de Tarragona (CEDAT) – Monday 24th April 2023 from 15:00 to 19:30h, in person at the Seminar 1 of the Facultat de Ciènces Jurídiques and online on Teams.

For more information on the event and the registration form,
see the following link:

http://www.cedat.cat/news/911/international-seminar-climate-induced-migration-recent-trends-and-future-directions

2) Academic Paper: ¿Qué debería ser un migrante climático para el derecho internacional?

https://raco.cat/index.php/rcda/article/view/419661

3) International Conference: Towards a Legal System in Harmony and Peace with Nature, Panel IV: Addressing Environmental REfugees’ needs: Main legal challenges and opportunities ahead.

Program

4) Focus Group on Climate Migrations on the topic “Social strategies to confront climate migrations” organized by the Ecology and Development Foundation (ECODES). Madrid, April 25, 2024. With the participation, among others, of representatives of Greenpeace, Entre Culturas, Ayuda en Acción, Alianza por la Solidaridad.

5) Publication of Book Chapter by Borràs-Pentinat, S. “The climate refuge in the European Union: the other forgotten migration” in Corti Varela, J., Jarillo Aldeanueva A. European Climate Law: Union Policies and External Action , Tirant lo Blanc, 2024, pp. 81-118.

https://editorial.tirant.com/es/ebook/derecho-climatico-europeo-politicas-de-la-union-y-accion-exterior-justo-corti-varela-9788411972802

6) Presentation “Climate-displaced People arriving in Spain” at International Conference SOCIOECOS 2024 Climate Change, Sustainability and Socio-ecological Practices, June 6-7, 2024

https://blogs.uned.es/derechoclimatico/wp-content/uploads/sites/269/2024/09/Conference-Programme-and-Timetable.pdf

7) Presentation “Climate migrations: conceptualization and challenges” at the VII International Congress of Development Studies, Just Transitions and Pacts for Sustainable Development, May 30-31, 2024

https://blogs.uned.es/derechoclimatico/wp-content/uploads/sites/269/2024/09/distribucion-propuestas.pdf

8) Presentation “Climate displaced people: approach to the debate in Spain” at GT21 (Sociology and Environment) within the XV Spanish Congress of Sociology, June 26-29, 2024.

https://www.conftool.com/fes2024/index.php?page=browseSessions&form_tracks=23&form_topic=0

Project Grant

ADAPTAR Project

The field work has been completed in the first semester in 2024.

This work consisted of carrying out 36 in-depth qualitative interviews with UNHCR, NGOs (reception staff and legal advice), officials in charge of processing asylum and refuge applications (OAR and immigration police) and asylum/refugee applicants mainly. of the Sahel. The interviews have been carried out in the Canary Islands (Tenerife and Gran Canaria), Andalusia (Algeciras and Seville) and Madrid.

The interviews have been anonymized, transcribed, and coded, following the protocol of the UNED Ethics Committee, which has given its VB to the scripts and informed consents.

Working documents are currently being prepared and will be presented to a seminar of independent experts in October 2024.

Description

ADAPTAR Project

Climate Change’s negative effects can disrupt people’s way of living in such a manner that oblige them to displace. In such events, displacements would be an adaptation to climate change. If displacements are international, people could suffer vulnerabilities if they are not offered an effective legal framework in the host country, either through Migration Law (including Human Rights protection), International Asylum Law, or subsidiary protection. Providing effective legal protection to climate-displaced people is also an (indirect) adaptation to climate change and, consequently, a green transition action.

The research hypothesis is that there are climate-displaced people among asylum seekers, as well as among those who apply for subsidiary protection or a temporary residence permit due to humanitarian reasons, and they are not given effective legal protection. A secondary hypothesis is that climate-displaced women are a target group that deserves special protection.

The project aims to contribute to the adaptation of the Spanish proceedings on asylum, subsidiary protection and temporary permits due to humanitarian reasons to the challenges climate displacements bring by: identifying and grading climate-displaced people’s vulnerability, and helping administrative and judicial authorities in their tasks of providing, particularly to women, effective protection.