NO ONE LEFT BEHIND? The ability of EU policies to support the capabilities of stateless people facing climate change-induced disasters

Abstract

Statelessness is an issue that has affected Europe since the end of World War II, as nation-state boundaries have constrained which people have a nationality and which do not. In the instance of a climate change-induced disaster, stateless people are hyper-marginalised for two distinct reasons: they tend to live in high-risk locations, and they are in danger of being overlooked by state institutions. The capability approach is used to assess whether EU policy has the ability to facilitate the agency of stateless people in the instance of such disasters, and where it falls short. This analysis highlights key opportunities and challenges for the EU’s cross-border approach to disaster management and in aiding its vulnerable stateless populations. To develop its approach the EU needs to be more specific regarding which groups are most vulnerable to climate change-induced disasters and where they are located, and to have preventative measures in place. It also should take measures to improve the situation of stateless people so fewer people are left in precarious situations without nationalities.