We at Refugee Legal Support in partnership with Earth Refuge and DLA Piper, plus support from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, Doughty Street Chambers, ILPA - Immigration Law Practitioners' Association, Refugee Law Initiative, and Climate and Migration Coalition, are pleased to confirm that registration for our half-day conference to be hosted on 27th October 2025 at DLA Piper in London is now open.
This free, in-person gathering will bring together legal practitioners, advocates, academics, and policy experts to explore:
• Strengthening legal capacity to advocate for the protection of persons displaced across borders in the context of the climate crisis
• Bridging the gap between academic insight and practical application
• Advancing a rights-based narrative for protection within existing and emerging legal frameworks
We hope you’ll join us!
Register to attend here: International Protection in the Context of the Climate Crisis Tickets, Mon 27 Oct 2025 at 13:00 | EventbriteStart/end:
Venue:
in person at DLA Piper 160 Aldersgate Street London EC1A 4HT
Organisation:
Refugee Legal Support
Speakers:
This will include two dozen speakers and several Panels. The details of the first Panel are now available:
This will explore how climate change is reshaping patterns of displacement and the search for protection. Drawing on the expertise of leading voices in law, policy, and practice, the discussion will unpack core concepts, highlight emerging challenges, and envision how asylum and human rights frameworks can adapt to meet the demands of a rapidly changing climate.
We are honoured to be joined by:
• Rebecca Chapman (Chair) - With three decades of experience in all aspects of immigration and asylum law, Rebecca has particular expertise in cases involving vulnerable women and children, LGBTI+ individuals, family reunion, Article 8, and deportation. She is a Deputy Judge of the Upper Tribunal (IAC) and a trustee of Refugee Legal Support.
• Dr Madeline Garlick - As Chief of Protection Policy and Legal Advice in the Division of International Protection at UNHCR HQ, Madeline brings extensive international experience, including in Iraq, Brussels, Cyprus, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. She is also an Honorary Associate of the Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford and a qualified barrister and solicitor in Australia. Madeline has contributed significantly to UNHCR’s work on climate displacement including their 2020 Legal Considerations regarding Claims for International Protection made in the Context of the Adverse Effects of Climate Change and Disasters
• Professor David James Cantor - Founder and Director of the Refugee Law Initiative at the School of Advanced Study, University of London. David has 25 years of experience in research, advice and advocacy on refugee and IDP law and policy. David has published extensively on the climate and displacement nexus including as lead author of the RLI’s 2024 Declaration and Analytical Paper on International Protection in the Context of Disasters and Climate Change
• Amali Tower - Founder of Climate Refugees. For nearly 15 years, Amali has conducted research in climate displacement contexts, including in urban and camp settings. She has worked with NGOs, UNHCR, and the US Refugee Admissions Program, and her research and advocacy have informed governments, the UN, and other global policy bodies.
Other speakers include:
Harj Narulla (Doughty Street Chambers)
Claire Donse (DLA Piper)
Prof Geoff Gilbert (Essex Human Rights Centre)
Ubah Dirie (Garden Court Chambers)
Ronan Toal (Garden Court Chambers)
Krishnendu Mukherjee (Doughty Street Chambers)
David Ngira (Amnesty International)
Joy Reyes (Grantham Institute)
Margaux Bia (DLA Piper)
Tareq Hassan ( Sustainable Development Network)
Alex Randall (Climate and Migration Coalition)
Dr Matthew Scott (Raoul Wallenberg Institute)
Bella Mosselmans (Global Strategic Litigation Council, New School)
Yumna Kamel (Earth Refuge)
Emily Rowe (Chair of the RLS Climate Emergency Working Group)
Nausheen Anwar (IIED)
Adam Jones (until recently lead solicitor at JCWI’s Climate Justice is Migrant Justice Project)
Yazan Miri (JCWI)
Finnian Clarke (Doughty Street Chambers)
Olivia Clark ( Refugee Legal Support)
This will explore how climate change is reshaping patterns of displacement and the search for protection. Drawing on the expertise of leading voices in law, policy, and practice, the discussion will unpack core concepts, highlight emerging challenges, and envision how asylum and human rights frameworks can adapt to meet the demands of a rapidly changing climate.
We are honoured to be joined by:
• Rebecca Chapman (Chair) - With three decades of experience in all aspects of immigration and asylum law, Rebecca has particular expertise in cases involving vulnerable women and children, LGBTI+ individuals, family reunion, Article 8, and deportation. She is a Deputy Judge of the Upper Tribunal (IAC) and a trustee of Refugee Legal Support.
• Dr Madeline Garlick - As Chief of Protection Policy and Legal Advice in the Division of International Protection at UNHCR HQ, Madeline brings extensive international experience, including in Iraq, Brussels, Cyprus, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. She is also an Honorary Associate of the Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford and a qualified barrister and solicitor in Australia. Madeline has contributed significantly to UNHCR’s work on climate displacement including their 2020 Legal Considerations regarding Claims for International Protection made in the Context of the Adverse Effects of Climate Change and Disasters
• Professor David James Cantor - Founder and Director of the Refugee Law Initiative at the School of Advanced Study, University of London. David has 25 years of experience in research, advice and advocacy on refugee and IDP law and policy. David has published extensively on the climate and displacement nexus including as lead author of the RLI’s 2024 Declaration and Analytical Paper on International Protection in the Context of Disasters and Climate Change
• Amali Tower - Founder of Climate Refugees. For nearly 15 years, Amali has conducted research in climate displacement contexts, including in urban and camp settings. She has worked with NGOs, UNHCR, and the US Refugee Admissions Program, and her research and advocacy have informed governments, the UN, and other global policy bodies.
Other speakers include:
Harj Narulla (Doughty Street Chambers)
Claire Donse (DLA Piper)
Prof Geoff Gilbert (Essex Human Rights Centre)
Ubah Dirie (Garden Court Chambers)
Ronan Toal (Garden Court Chambers)
Krishnendu Mukherjee (Doughty Street Chambers)
David Ngira (Amnesty International)
Joy Reyes (Grantham Institute)
Margaux Bia (DLA Piper)
Tareq Hassan ( Sustainable Development Network)
Alex Randall (Climate and Migration Coalition)
Dr Matthew Scott (Raoul Wallenberg Institute)
Bella Mosselmans (Global Strategic Litigation Council, New School)
Yumna Kamel (Earth Refuge)
Emily Rowe (Chair of the RLS Climate Emergency Working Group)
Nausheen Anwar (IIED)
Adam Jones (until recently lead solicitor at JCWI’s Climate Justice is Migrant Justice Project)
Yazan Miri (JCWI)
Finnian Clarke (Doughty Street Chambers)
Olivia Clark ( Refugee Legal Support)
Cost:
free
Booking contact details:
Please book via the eventbrite link above
Booking contact email:
International Protection in the Context of the Climate Crisis Tickets, Mon 27 Oct 2025 at 13:00 | Eventbrite