Abstract
Environmental migration driven by climate change, environmental degradation and natural disasters, is becoming more and more, a critical issue in Africa. Vast populations are increasingly forced to flee their homes as a result of rising sea levels, desertification, droughts, floods and other environmental factors. The severity of environmentally induced migration is higher in Africa due to a lack of preparedness by authorities on key critical areas, including legal protection of migrants and an inclusive development agenda. While many African countries lack national legislation to address this growing challenge, existing regional frameworks, such as the Kampala Convention, provide a limited scope for dealing with cross-border environmental migration.
This paper adopts a doctrinal legal research method to examine the intersection of environmental migration, human rights, and sustainable development. It finds that the absence of a clear legal status and protection for environmental migrants exposes them to human rights violations such as loss of livelihoods, inadequate shelter, and hinders their access to essential services like healthcare, education, and employment, which are key to their socio-economic integration. This situation not only inhibits migrants’ potential and chances to meaningfully contribute to the development of the larger society but also exacerbates social inequality and poverty across the continent. The paper argues for a new agenda with an integrated approach, combining legal protection with sustainable development initiatives to mitigate the push factors of environmental migration.
It recommends comprehensive legal protections for environmental migrants centred on human rights and socio-economic development in Africa, with more robust international cooperation and policy integration to address challenges faced by migrants and broader environmental issues.
Keywords: Africa, Environmental Migration, Legal Protection, Migrants’ Rights, Sustainable Development
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