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Climate, conflict and displacement. Our research reveals some major threats to social justice...and some solutions.

We’re proud of our research to reveal risks to human rights as people become displaced. Whether this is through climate change-induced migration or the movement of populations in situations of conflict, our researchers are shaping global policy and practice.

Dr Saphia Fleury has a background at Amnesty International and her research focuses on human rights law, refugee issues and environmental change. She is also an expert reviewer for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Climate change threatens to displace tens of millions of people this century and is already contributing to the movement of people within and across borders worldwide. Without safeguards in place to protect their human rights, many environmental migrants lack legal protections or even the basic necessities to ensure their safety and survival while undertaking dangerous journeys and settling in new communities.

Dr Saphia Fleury

With a current focus on Montserrat but with a global perspective, Saphia uses public policy engagement to raise awareness of climate change as a driver of migration, focusing on the risks to people’s human rights when such migration is unmanaged. Through her research she makes recommendations to policymakers on new rights-respecting approaches to immigration that match the realities of this new era of global migration. 

Dr Daniel Ogunniyi, brings his experience of working for the United Nations into identifying and making recommendations to tackle some of the major drivers of modern slavery risk.

In his recently published work on the growing modern slavery risk in African countries, he states: "Climate change does not affect societies in isolation; it worsens pre-existing inequalities, vulnerabilities and systems of power. Communities that are already disadvantaged due to poverty, limited access to resources, or poor infrastructure are likely to experience more severe impacts from climate change.

"Extreme weather events such as flooding, drought, wildfires, water scarcity and rise in sea levels driven by climate change are creating loss of livelihoods. They also displace people and make them more vulnerable. In turn, these factors make people more susceptible to modern slavery."

Daniel makes several practical recommendations for how governments can address the transnational aspects of modern slavery, through a comprehensive programme of robust laws, strong collaboration between states, and educational programmes.

Modern slavery is often underpinned by material poverty and inequality, addressing these underlying factors could reduce the risks of exploitation. Antislavery measures must be embedded into wider climate change responses. Companies involved in the renewable energy sector should be mandated to conduct thorough human rights due diligence in their operations and supply chains. This is to address the risks of modern slavery. It could prevent the unintended consequences of exploitation in the global transition to renewable energy.

Dr Daniel Ogunniyi

As well as chairing the Humber Modern Slavery Partnership, Dr Alicia Heys researches issues of policy, agency, representation and the legal enforcement of the Modern Slavery Act (2015) UK. She has also researched the relationship between conflict and human trafficking.

In her book ‘From Conflict to Modern Slavery: The Drivers and Deterrents’ she describes that in conflict zones, people may become at risk of modern slavery due to reduced options or the ‘choiceless choice’.

Conflict often narrows down the options available to individuals, leaving them with limited, often undesirable choices. Many respondents faced the dilemma of staying in an extremely dangerous conflict situation or accepting offers of support that came with concerns about illegitimacy. Conflict can also lead to a breakdown in support networks, further limiting individuals' options.

Dr Alicia Heys

Alicia recommends that by “delving into these complexities and adopting a comprehensive definition of conflict, we can begin to unravel the factors that increase an individual's vulnerability to modern slavery in conflict and post-conflict environments.”

Her research highlighted an urgent need for holistic approaches to address modern slavery, taking into account not only the immediate personal dynamics but also the broader structural and societal factors that enable modern slavery to persist.

Our committed Postgraduate Researchers give us hope that vital research, to understand human rights risks and plan for a fairer future will continue.

Giulia Repetti is a member of the Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships Centre for Water Culture which has identified that more than 30% of the global population live within 100km of the sea where communities face the challenges of living ‘on the edge’.

She is setting out to understand the link between climate-related water stresses and shocks, human trafficking and migration to Italy and the United Kingdom. She will forward policy recommendations to address the challenges of climate-induced migration and resulting severe exploitation.

I am investigating the triggers, likely origins, routes, and experiences of climate migrants and plan to show how vulnerabilities to climate change and human trafficking may be generated. Through my research, I will make recommendations for policy development in relation to climate-induced migration and vulnerability to trafficking.

Giulia Repetti

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