European Institute for Human Rights

Tag: Public Perception

  • Is Climate Change a Valid Reason for Migration? Evidence from a Conjoint Experiment

    Is Climate Change a Valid Reason for Migration? Evidence from a Conjoint Experiment

    Is climate change perceived as a legitimate reason for long-term immigration? And under what conditions this perception holds?

    Using a conjoint experiment with a quota-representative sample of Dutch respondents, the research explores public attitudes toward climate migrants.

    Study results show that climate migrants are viewed more favorably than economic migrants but less favorably than asylum seekers fleeing persecution. Contrary to expectations, political ideology and climate attitudes do not significantly moderate these views.

    Learn more about this study here: https://doi.org/10.1080/17457289.2025.2514195

    Reference

    Faure, M., Kantorowicz, J., & Weiss, A. (2025). Is climate change a valid reason for migration? Evidence from a conjoint experiment. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties, 1–22

  • Preparing for Climate Migration and Integration: A Policy and Research Agenda

    Preparing for Climate Migration and Integration: A Policy and Research Agenda

    Recent research on climate migration is reviewed in this paper, including projections of future migrant numbers, while introducing a typology that distinguishes strategic migrants, disaster migrants, managed relocation, and trapped populations.

    Drawing on migration theory and research on immigrant and refugee integration, the author proposes that wealthy countries allocate additional visas to poorer countries affected by climate change, partly as a form of climate justice.

    These visas could enable strategic migrants to establish social networks that facilitate further migration and eventually support disaster migrants and relocated communities through co-ethnic relations.

    The author also draws on refugee studies to identify key questions about how best to integrate disaster migrants in the future.

    Additionally, the growing link between climate denialism and anti-immigrant sentiment within right-wing movements is examined.
    It is argued that planning for the successful integration of climate migrants is essential, not only for humanitarian reasons but also to maintain the social trust needed for effective climate mitigation.

    Learn more about this paper here: https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2024.2438449

    Reference

    Waters, M. C. (2025). Preparing for climate migration and integration: a policy and research agenda. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 51(1), 4–23