On February 16, the European border and coast guard agency, Frontex, hosted a seminar on the impact of climate change on migration, with a particular focus on the security of women and children. It also examined the links between climate change and organized crime, including terrorism.
The seminar took place as part of the Frontex’s presidency of the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Agencies Network that comprises nine European agencies.
“This is the first event of our presidency and the first time the JHA network focuses on climate change,” said Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri opening the seminar.
“During today’s seminar we do not want to look at the problem solely from the border guard or police perspective, but rather to focus on a more comprehensive picture – ranging from fundamental rights and law to security,” he added.
Climate change affects multiple dimensions of Justice and Home Affairs – it triggers and changes organized crime, with environmental crime being the fourth-largest criminal activity in the world. It also fuels migration, and experts assess that we will witness millions of people being affected by climate-related migrations in the coming years.
The seminar’s key goal was to develop a science-based approach to understanding how climate change influences individuals and societies, its impact on crime, migration and security and what EU agencies can do to minimize its negative effects.
The online conference brought together delegates from JHA agencies and EU institutions, as well as invited internationally recognized experts and scientists dealing with environmental issues, including from The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Oxford Environmental Change Institute, Clingeldael and the Diversity Development Group.
