CLIMATE REFUGEES AND STATELESSNESS: THE UNSEEN HUMAN RIGHTS CRISIS OF THE 21ST CENTURY

AUTHOR – ARJUN GUPTA, STUDENT AT SYMBIOSIS LAW SCHOOL

BEST CITATION – ARJUN GUPTA, CLIMATE REFUGEES AND STATELESSNESS: THE UNSEEN HUMAN RIGHTS CRISIS OF THE 21ST CENTURY, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (13) OF 2025, PG. 414-422, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344

Abstract:

Climate change is triggering an unprecedented wave of human displacement and raising the alarming prospect of statelessness, yet existing legal frameworks offer little protection to those affected. This article explores how climate-induced disasters from supercharged floods to creeping sea-level rise are forcing people from their homes, creating “climate refugees” who often fall outside the scope of international refugee law. It also examines the emerging challenge of climate-related statelessness, as entire nations (particularly small island states) risk losing their territory to rising seas. The human rights implications are dire: millions face loss of housing, livelihood, nationality, and basic dignity, without a formal status to guarantee their rights. Despite the scale of this crisis, it remains largely unseen in global policy, with fragmented or insufficient responses. The article argues for urgent international cooperation to fill protection gaps from expanding legal definitions and frameworks to proactive measures averting displacement in order to uphold the rights and dignity of those most vulnerable to climate change.

Keywords: Climate Refugees. Statelessness. Human Rights. Displacement. International Law