It is demanded that November 22 be recognised annually as Climate and Migrant Justice Day, aiming to increase visibility for climate-induced migration and the human rights of displaced people
A coalition of 59 organisations, including YouthNet Global, the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), Climate Justice Coalition, and Global Justice Now, has issued a powerful joint statement calling for action on climate and migrant justice.
The statement arrived on Thursday, the day ahead of the first Climate and Migrant Justice Day, which will highlight the urgent need to protect the rights of those displaced by climate breakdown and to ensure human dignity across borders.
The coalition’s statement highlights the severity of this year’s record-breaking summer heat, with devastating climate impacts visible around the world. From coastal erosion and agricultural losses in the UK to the expansion of deserts in North Africa and catastrophic floods in South Asia, climate change is forcing entire communities to migrate.
Despite these crises, the statement underscores that governments, including the UK, are investing more in border militarisation and detention than in creating safe pathways and support systems for those fleeing climate impacts, thus failing to uphold human rights.
The coalition calls for November 22 to be recognised annually as Climate and Migrant Justice Day, aiming to increase visibility for climate-induced migration and the human rights of displaced people. The signatories demand an end to the allocation of funds toward border and surveillance industries, which they claim profit from suffering, and advocate for redirecting these resources to aid affected communities.
The joint statement also criticizes the role of fossil fuel industries at international climate forums like COP29, arguing that these corporations exert undue influence over climate negotiations. Instead, the coalition calls for removing these industries from climate talks, asserting that true solutions should be driven by the needs and rights of impacted communities.
YouthNet Global’s Executive Coordinator Sohanur Rahman emphasised the urgency of these demands, stating, “It is time to prioritise people over profit. Communities on the front lines of climate destruction are being forced to migrate, while resources are funneled into violent border regimes that do nothing to address the root causes of displacement.”
He added, “We must focus on creating safe, dignified pathways for those displaced and demand meaningful climate action that centers the voices and human rights of the affected.”
The statement concludes with a call for solidarity in protecting people, not polluters, and stresses the need for policy reforms that safeguard the dignity, rights, and safety of all affected by the climate crisis.
