The Climate Refugees—A Different Effect of Climate Change

Climate change has become a major issue in the international community from many points of view: political, urgency, sustainable development for future generations, etc. The results of the last elections in some European countries (Switzerland, Germany), as well as some other areas around the world (Australia, Canada) are clear: the Greens have conquered an unprecedented victory in the political arena. This great wave of environmentalism, described as ‘historic’, now seems inevitable in the political field, as well as in the level of reforms that the latter will bring. Indeed, those in power cannot voluntarily deny the environmental awareness conveyed by the general public, because it is undeniable—there is continuous pressure coming from the simple people. However, despite green political discourses, issues related to “climate refugees” are proving to be minimised. In this paper, we will try to provide data to understand what the size of the climate factor (or its consequences) is, as a cause of migration compared with economic or political reasons. We will also try to suggest some solutions in order to ameliorate the situation of people forced to leave their homes because of weather-related events. To better understand this issue, it is interesting to point out at first that the subject of climate refugees is not something recent but rather ancient. Indeed, this question has existed for a long time. We will quickly trace the historical evolution of this debate mixing migration and environment.