Environmental Migration: a Criminological Aspect

Abstract

The authors examine the negative social phenomenon of environmental migration from the criminological viewpoint and describe its causes, character and specific features. They present their own classification of the types of environmental migration and offer examples of each type. It is stressed that environmental migration will be growing in the nearest future due to the worsening environmental problems, mainly connected with the violations of the right of citizens to a favorable environment, including the consequences of environmental crimes. There is a link between illegal and environmental migration, which could be disorganized, forced and often uncontrollable, thus posing a threat to national security and leading to a general destabilization of the situation in the country and the world. As a result of their research, the authors conclude that it is required to develop the instruments of international and state policy of regulating environmental migration as a necessary condition for the prevention of the development of illegal migration and forced uncontrolled movement of people and the minimization of the negative consequences of these phenomena. They argue for widening the concept of «refugee» and «displaced person» by including the category «persons who left their place of residence as a result of natural disasters or irreversible natural phenomena caused by climate change». The authors conclude that environmental migration, having a high criminogenic potential, needs further criminogenic research, which will determine its causes, development trends and potential threats. The creation of the mechanism of its regulation and control requires a thoughtful and balanced approach due to the excessive politicizing of environmental problems.