Labour migration for vulnerable communities: a strategy to adapt to a changing environment

Abstract

"The interconnection between migration and development is rising on global, regional and national agendas. This paper will look into labour migration as a possible strategy to adapt to a changing environment, and to increase resilience of disaster-affected populations. According to the UN Human Development Report, international migration can contribute greatly to human welfare and development. The phenomenon of climate change, which now poses new challenges to both migration and development, asks for a comprehensive adaptation strategy to help and protect vulnerable populations. Facilitating legal migration for vulnerable communities affected by environmental disruptions, is both a way to prevent forced displacement, and to reduce the vulnerability of the population. Through a case study of the Colombian Temporary and Circular Labour Migration Scheme (TCLM), this paper analyses how international migration could be facilitated for disaster-affected communities. Through this innovative migration model, Colombians facing recurring natural disasters are offered a livelihood alternative through temporary work abroad, while affected regions can recuperate. By supporting migrants in maximizing the impact of remittances on the recovery of their place of origin, the TCLM programme increases their resilience to environmental disruptions. This paper aims to contribute to the discussion on the nexus between migration, development and adaptation to environmental degradation. It illustrates how a European Member State can offer environmentally vulnerable people a livelihood alternative, by enabling them to temporarily migrate overseas. The focus of this paper is on the legal framework supporting the TCLM programme, and on the legal conditions for its consolidation and replication in other EU Member States. Best practices of migration programmes for vulnerable communities could lead to appropriate policy recommendations, or could even serve as an example for the elaboration of environmental migration programmes in the European Union." [author's abstract]