Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will assess the potential merits of expanding the definition of refugees to include people displaced by environmental factors.

The Refugee Convention 1951 is an international treaty which sets the global definition of who is a refugee. It does not have an explicit category that covers those displaced by environmental factors. The government continues to work with our global partners to address the causes of forced migration, including as part of UN discussions on proposed international compacts on migration and asylum.

The government takes the issue of climate change and those displaced as a result of climate change extremely seriously, which is why we are proud of our contribution under the Paris Climate Change Agreement.