ABSTRACT
Since the first use of the term ‘climate refugee’ in 1985, the international discourse surrounding migration in the context of climate change has shifted significantly. We now see efforts to emphasize migrant autonomy, a strong rejection of the term ‘refugee’ and a focus on how migration might be facilitated to enable positive adaptation and development outcomes. Although this new discourse has been contested from multiple angles, it is nonetheless the most dominant narrative circulating within international climate change and migration policy circles today. This chapter looks at how this shift has come about and why. In particular, we look at the political implications of this move and offer a pedagogical approach that will help to better understand these implications. The chapter is designed to facilitate an understanding of the key debates and narratives regarding how climate-related migration is conceptualized and responded to. By asking who has created these narratives, who is depicted in them and, most importantly, whose voices are missing from them, we begin to find ways of identifying the political agendas behind dominant policy solutions.
