Publication: The European Union's global actorness in the context of climate-induced migration
Abstract
Dünyanın en zorlu meselelerinden biri olan iklim değişikliği, etkisini her geçen gün artırmakta ve daha yaşanabilir yerler bulmak amacıyla bireyleri göç etmeye zorlamaktadır. Bu nedenle, 21. yüzyılın iki ayrı popüler sorunu – iklim değişikliği ve göç – ayrılmaz bir şekilde bağlantılı bir hale gelmiştir. İklim değişikliği nedeniyle yerinden edilmeleri kapsayan göç 1980'lerden itibaren küresel ölçekte tartışılsa da iklim kaynaklı göçmenlerin statüsü, korunması ve yeniden yerleşiminin AB politikalarında ve uluslararası hukukta açıklığa kavuşturulmaması önemli bir sorundur. Ayrıca, iklim kaynaklı yerinden edilmiş kişiler/ göçmenleri korumak için uluslararası bir rejim oluşturmak; Birleşmiş Milletler, hükümetler, sivil toplum kuruluşları ve ülkeler gibi farklı aktörlerin iş birliğini gerektirmektedir. Ancak, konu ile alakalı artan farkındalığa rağmen gerekenler hâlâ tam olarak yapılmamaktadır. Bu noktada eklemek gerekir ki, doğal afet riskinin daha az olması ve refah içinde yaşama amacıyla iklim kaynaklı yerinden edilmiş kişilerin/ göçmenlerin önemli bir kısmının ilk tercih olarak Avrupa’ya gitme olasılığı çok yüksektir. Ancak, iklim nedeniyle yerinden edilmiş kişilerin sayısı her geçen gün artarken, AB bu durumu görmezden gelmeyi tercih etmektedir. Bu tutumun nedeni; AB, iklim eylemi alanında küresel bir lider olarak algılansa da üye devletlerin ekonomik, sosyal, kültürel, güvenlik geçmişleri ve yapılarının farklılığı nedeniyle ortak paydada buluşmalarının oldukça zor olmasıdır. Bu bağlamda, uluslararası, ulusal ve bölgesel düzeylerde rasyonel ve birbiriyle bağlantılı yaklaşımlara sahip çok düzeyli yönetişim içerisinde etkin çözümler ortaya çıkarılması bu konunun çözümü için önem arz etmektedir. Bu gelişmeler ışığında çalışma, AB'nin aktörlüğünü irdeleyerek AB ve üye ülkeler düzeyinde iklim kaynaklı göç ve yerinden edilmeye yönelik politikaları çok düzeyli yönetişim teorisi perspektifinden analiz etmeyi amaçlamakta ve iklim değişikliğinin artan etkileri karşısında AB'nin yaklaşımının küresel bir aktör olma yolunda önemli engeller oluşturduğunu savunmaktadır.
Climate change, one of the most challenging issues in the world, has increased its impacts day by day and forced individuals to migrate with the aim of finding more livable places. Thus, two separate hot-topics of the 21st century – climate change and migration– have become inextricably linked. Although migration including displacement due to climate change, has been discussed on the global scale since the 1980s, one of the problematic things is the status, protection, and resettlement of climate-induced migrants who are not clarified in the EU policies as well as international law. Additionally, establishing an international regime specifically for climate-induced people/ migrants requires the cooperation of different actors such as the United Nations, governments, non-governmental organizations, and countries. However, the necessary actions have not been taken collectively despite the increasing awareness related to the subject. At this point, it should be added that a significant number of climate-induced displaced people/ migrants are likely to go to Europe as a first choice, thanks to fewer risks of climate disasters as well as living in prosperity. However, the EU prefers to ignore this situation while the number of climate-induced displaced people is increasing day by day. The reason behind this attitude is that although the EU has been perceived as a global leader in the realm of climate action, meeting at the common ground has been highly difficult due to the EU member states’ differences in terms of the economic, social, cultural, security backgrounds and structures. In this context, it is crucial to find efficient solutions within multi-level governance by having rational and interconnected approaches at the international, national, and regional levels. In the light of these developments, the study aims to analyze the policies towards climate-induced migration and displacement at the EU and member states level from the perspective of multi-level governance by scrutinizing the EU’s actorness, and it argues that the EU’s approach constitutes important obstacles on the way towards being a global actor in the face of the increasing impacts of climate change.
Climate change, one of the most challenging issues in the world, has increased its impacts day by day and forced individuals to migrate with the aim of finding more livable places. Thus, two separate hot-topics of the 21st century – climate change and migration– have become inextricably linked. Although migration including displacement due to climate change, has been discussed on the global scale since the 1980s, one of the problematic things is the status, protection, and resettlement of climate-induced migrants who are not clarified in the EU policies as well as international law. Additionally, establishing an international regime specifically for climate-induced people/ migrants requires the cooperation of different actors such as the United Nations, governments, non-governmental organizations, and countries. However, the necessary actions have not been taken collectively despite the increasing awareness related to the subject. At this point, it should be added that a significant number of climate-induced displaced people/ migrants are likely to go to Europe as a first choice, thanks to fewer risks of climate disasters as well as living in prosperity. However, the EU prefers to ignore this situation while the number of climate-induced displaced people is increasing day by day. The reason behind this attitude is that although the EU has been perceived as a global leader in the realm of climate action, meeting at the common ground has been highly difficult due to the EU member states’ differences in terms of the economic, social, cultural, security backgrounds and structures. In this context, it is crucial to find efficient solutions within multi-level governance by having rational and interconnected approaches at the international, national, and regional levels. In the light of these developments, the study aims to analyze the policies towards climate-induced migration and displacement at the EU and member states level from the perspective of multi-level governance by scrutinizing the EU’s actorness, and it argues that the EU’s approach constitutes important obstacles on the way towards being a global actor in the face of the increasing impacts of climate change.