COP31: Dignity in Displacement

Texas Impact is on the ground in Antalya, Türkiye, at the United Nations climate negotiations known as COP31. Each day, Texas Impact staff and other U.S. faith delegates are reporting on the proceedings, and sharing conversations with global colleagues about the state of play and the urgency of the moment. Find more coverage at austinchronicle.com/COP31.

People probably always have migrated in search of optimal habitat, but the phenomenon of large-scale migration in response to human-induced climate change emerged as a major public policy challenge in 2015 during the Syrian refugee crisis. According to the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, more than 4 million Syrians fled their country in response to the Syrian civil war. The largest number went to Türkiye, many went to other European countries, and some came to the U.S. In response to pressure from the EU and global humanitarian groups including faith communities, the Obama administration increased admissions of Syrian refugees from 2,000 in FY2014 to 10,000 in FY2015. This move prompted a backlash from security hawks and sparked renewed anti-Muslim sentiment.

Just as the Syrian refugee issue was boiling over in the U.S., global leaders were gathering in Paris for COP21, which resulted in the Paris Agreement. While the COP highlighted the perils climate change poses for both arid and low-lying regions, the term “climate migrant” was not used specifically. In fact, a universal definition for “climate refugee” still does not exist, nor are climate-displaced people covered under international conventions regarding the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers.

In the decade since the Paris Agreement, climate migration has assumed an increasingly central position in climate policy. As it becomes painfully clear that the world is on target for at least some amount of “overshoot” of the 1.5C maximum warming envisioned in the Paris Agreement, communities and individuals who are most at-risk in the nearest term—who often also are least able to afford the costs associated with either displacement or adaptation—increasingly are demanding assistance from the wealthy countries who are so disproportionately responsible for inducing the crisis in the first place. 

The wealthy nations have not responded at the necessary scale. The Pacific islands came to COP31 requesting $500M in new funding for the Pacific Resilience Facility, but so far they have raised less than half their goal.

Fiji, Vanuatu, and Tuvalu are strong champions for these most-vulnerable nations. Over the years, their national statements have centered the stories of people whose entire histories and ways of life are being erased in a breathtakingly short time. Their leaders are among the most thoughtful and collaborative of the national delegations.

Tuvalu has launched the Tuvalu Climate Mobility Trends and Capacity Needs Assessment and the Tuvalu Migration Preparedness Information Package to help Tuvaluans who make the decision to migrate due to climate change.

The Tuvalu Climate Mobility Trends and Capacity Needs Assessment, developed under the Pacific Climate Change, Migration and Human Security (PCCMHS) Programme Phase II, examines how climate change is influencing migration patterns in Tuvalu and identifies priority capacity needs to address challenges such as displacement, planned relocation, and voluntary migration. Building on these insights, the publication supports the development of targeted policies and programmes to promote safe, orderly, and dignified migration.

Meanwhile, the Tuvalu Migration Preparedness Information Package, also developed under the PCCMHS Programme Phase II, is a practical guide for Tuvaluans preparing to migrate. It is designed to empower individuals and families to make informed decisions about migration, whether for employment, study, family reunification, or climate‑related adaptation.

The package provides clear, accessible information on visa requirements, financial preparedness, cultural adjustment, and access to essential services. It also highlights relevant government policies and regional agreements available to Tuvaluans, ensuring that migration contributes positively to livelihoods while preserving cultural identity and community ties. Importantly, the package is available in both English and Tuvaluan, enhancing its local relevance and accessibility to a wider audience. It is also available through radio programmes, flyers, and brochures.—International Organization for Migration

Speaking on a panel at COP31, Tuvaluan Prime Minister The Right Honourable Feleti Penitala Teo stressed that “For Tuvaluans, the question of what happens if your home can no longer sustain a safe and dignified life is not hypothetical.”

PM Teo offered three conditions for “displacement with dignity:”

1. Protecting the rights of people to stay in their homeland if they want to by providing adaptation (which requires climate finance)
2. Ensuring migration with dignity for people who face permanent displacement, including preventing the rise of “second-class citizens” by establishment of a displacement visa framework
3. Placing communities at the center of decisions that will impact their future

Teo added that, despite Tuvalu’s proactive approach to human mobility, “Mobility is not a substitute for adaptation and mitigation.” Climate displacement is not just about moving people from place to another—it’s about human rights, dignity, and justice. Loss and damage is not just about property—it’s loss of ancestors, sovereignty, and culture.”

U.S. faith communities have advocated (unsuccessfully so far) at the past several COPs for the establishment of climate asylee and climate refugee statuses in the UN’s global migration framework, as well as advocating for the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) that was established at COP27 in Egypt. FRLD does not cover loss of culture or ancestral lands, which are two of the losses most keenly felt by displaced people.

Texas Impact is Texas’ oldest and largest interfaith advocacy network. Based in Austin with members in every corner of the state, Texas Impact equips and mobilizes Texans of faith and conscience to advocate for public policies that reflect widely shared, deeply held values of love and justice. Learn more and get involved at texasimpact.org.

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