Year: 2026
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: Climate change has triggered new forms of forced migration.These new forms go beyond the traditional anthropocentric understanding of asylum law.It is important to point out that the term "environmental refugee" is exclusively used for people fleeing floods, droughts, or rising sea levels.However, animals face similar existential threats.This article examines the phenomenon of animals as environmental refugees and analyzes how current law responds to the migration of multispecies families -that is, humans together with their companion animals -in the context of climate change, ecological disasters, and armed conflicts.We will analyse the current domestic and international laws and point out their gaps.The study will also raise the question of extending legal protection beyond the human species.Finally, we propose legal reforms to take into account interspecies connections and create a more humane approach to migration in the age of the global climate crisis.
Author: Lilla Garayová
Institution: Pan-European University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7167468079