Global priorities have been turned upside down by unprecedented events over the last few years. However, the need to address the fundamental causation behind the rise of migration has always stayed at the forefront of our minds. Governments and global alliances must work together to tackle the underlying causes in migration-origin countries to secure a better future for all. Migration policy programs must plan long term interventions on poverty, insecurity, and climate change but action must also be taken right now.

People are already beginning to flee

One of the most pressing issues is climate change migration, which threatens to overwhelm global migration without significant planning and technology upgrades that can cope with a sharp increase in volume. Unfortunately, the COP26 conference in 2021 failed to agree on measures that would make any significant impact on climate change migration. We can predict that climate change will prompt sudden waves of large-scale migration and global displacement and need to be prepared. 

Based on the research conducted by the World Bank, more than eight million people in Southeast Asia have fled to the Middle East, Europe, and North America as a result of increasingly unpredictable monsoon rainfall and droughts. Moreover, in the African Sahel, millions of rural people have been streaming toward the coasts and the cities amid drought and widespread crop failures. Millions of people are forced into motion in the context of climate change and disasters, and may in some circumstances be in need of international protection. Therefore, refugee and human rights law plays a significant role in this area.

When you make it safe and legal, it’s no longer a crisis

“Safe pathways still need to be created for people who are dealing with the impacts of climate change, so that they’re not making migration decisions only in the context of a specific disaster,” says Sarnata Reynolds, policy advisor for global displacement and migration at Oxfam. “They should be able to make decisions about when and where and how to move.”

Nations who receive migrants must record and share data in order that mass irregular migration events can be managed effectively by border security and law enforcement officials. In 2018, the World Bank estimated that three regions – Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia – will generate 143 million more climate migrants by 2050.

The last few years have shown us the devastating effects of insufficiently agile and comprehensive technology during periods of high migration, and we must learn from this. Law enforcement agencies must become better prepared to manage mass irregular migration events and anticipate and plan for them, rather than simply reacting to them as they arise.

One of the key principles underpinning attempts to manage migration is communication, and this must be facilitated by robust, accurate to the minute technology. Climate related migration prompts both direct and indirect geopolitical security implications that increase the burden on security professionals. Border management agencies need to be able to manage large volumes of identity data not only in order to protect their borders and citizens, but also to expedite the migration process.

Meet the challenge with agile processing solutions

WCC’s HERMES solution is already providing many countries with a solution to the myriad challenges of a changing world and climate. It handles Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Data (PNR) with ease, enabling optimal passenger flow at all ports. The solution’s API/PNR and passenger screening is at the core of reducing travel friction and meets the security requirements of all law enforcement agencies, regardless of size.

Any specific data and security requirements related to migration can be accommodated in HERMES, which can accept data from any source and can be configured to your needs. At its core is smart data matching, seamless integration between local and international watchlists, one-stop summaries, and fast, accurate processing.

Ultimately, we all want to live in a safer, fairer world and provide opportunities for others to thrive in the same environments.  HERMES can support border security teams and law enforcement agencies in achieving this, helping the global community to plan for and manage climate change migration together.