Undocumented and Unprotected: Climate Change's Impact on Vulnerable Migrants

As global temperatures increase, human mobility is rising dramatically. This trend includes internal displacement, cross-border migration, and planned relocation, much of it driven by climate change. People are increasingly moving out of necessity, escaping impacts that disrupt their homes and livelihoods.

Both sudden-onset disasters (e.g., typhoons, floods, storms, and wildfires) and slow-onset processes (e.g., sea level rise and drought) have intensified in recent years. Between 2013 and 2023, an average of 21.5 to 21.8 million people per year were displaced by sudden weather-related events alone.

The intersection of climate change, disasters, and human mobility is complex and multifaceted. Migration is rarely due to a single cause; it often involves a mix of factors including armed conflict, poverty, food or water insecurity, and human rights violations. Climate change acts as a catalyst, intensifying these vulnerabilities and placing displaced individuals in increasingly precarious situations. Migrants vulnerability is often shaped by three key factors: geographical exposure, socioeconomic disadvantage, and social and legal marginalization in their host country.

Geographical Exposure and Climate Displacement

Migrant frequently relocate to areas with compounded environmental risks, leaving them vulnerable to repeated displacement. For instance:

• Coastal to Urban Migration: People fleeing sea-level rise in coastal areas may end up in urban slums prone to flooding or landslides.

• Drought to Heatwaves: Migrants from drought-stricken regions may relocate to areas facing extreme heatwaves, encountering new climate challenges.

  
  

This repeated displacement often leads to a cycle of vulnerability as migrants struggle to establish stable living conditions under continuous climate threats.

• Rohingya Refugees in Cox´s Bazar: Rohingya refugees from Myanmar live in camps in Bangladesh´s Cox´s Bazar, where monsoon rains, landslides, and flooding repeatedly endanger their lives. Insufficient shelter and infrastructure exacerbate these risks (UNICEF,2018)

Socioeconomic Disadvantage: Barrier to Resilience

Socioeconomic disadvantages intensify the challenges faced by migrants fleeing environmental instability. Limited resources often restrict their ability to adapt to new climate risks, while inadequate access to healthcare, education, and housing deepens their vulnerability.

• Exploitation and Hazardous Work: Migrants frequently take irregular, low-wage jobs, leaving them exposed to unsafe working conditions and climate-related hazards.

• Central American Migrants: Many migrants from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala leave due to repeated droughts driving food insecurity. In the United States, they often work in agriculture, where climate variability reduces job stability and reinforces a cycle of economic vulnerability.

• African Migrant in Spain: African agricultural workers endure rising temperatures and frequent heatwaves with inadequate protections, creating hazardous working environments (The Conversation, University of Texas).

Economic vulnerability further limits migrants´ability to recover from climate impacts, leaving them trapped in a precarious cycle.

Social and Legal Marginalization: Barrier to Adaptation

Migrants often face legal and social marginalization that exacerbates their vulnerability under climate stress. Those without legal recognition are excluded from accessing resources and participating in resilience-building efforts, leaving them ill-equipped to confront climate challenges.

• Barriers to Support: Exclusion from emergency support, housing, and essential services increases the risks for undocumented migrants.

• Haitian Migrants in the Dominican Republic: Undocumented Haitian migrants face restricted access to healthcare and disaster relief during hurricanes and other climate events, leaving them disproportionately vulnerable.

• African Migrants in Italy: Social exclusion limits their participation in community-based climate resilience initiatives, further marginalizing them in adaptation efforts.