FORMATION OF THE FUNDAMENTALS OF INTERNATIONAL LEGAL REGULATION OF POPULATION MIGRATION PROCESSES DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: HISTORICAL AND LEGAL ESSAY

Abstract

Introduction. The article highlights the process of forming the foundations of international legal regulation of population migration processes due to environmental factors, defining its main stages and identifying the specifics of relevant international legal sources inherent in each period.

Summary of the main results of the study. It is noted that natural changes and ecological disasters, which made it impossible for groups of people to live in the area of their traditional residence, from ancient times caused mass migrations to areas more suitable for living, yet the basis of international legal regulation of the processes of population migration due to environmental factors is only a development international organizations during the 20s of the 20th - the beginning of the 21st century. With certain caveats, we can single out three main stages of this process: 1) the preparatory stage of the functioning of the League of Nations, when the international legal foundations for regulating the status of refugees in general were laid; 2) the stage of improvement of the international legal basis for solving migration problems (without specifically distinguishing migration for environmental reasons), which chronologically covered the second half of the 40s - the beginning of the 70s of the last century; 3) the stage of development of international legal acts, which already reflect an understanding of the relationship between acute environmental problems and migration processes, as well as provide for certain measures aimed at protecting the rights of environmental migrants. The last stage is still ongoing.

Conclusion. The conclusion that population migration due to environmental factors is a complex international phenomenon that poses a number of important tasks to the world community is substantiated. To meet the needs of the legal regulation of ecological population migration at the universal level, a certain regulatory framework has already been formed, which, however, still needs improvement. The urgency of codifying international legal norms aimed at obtaining a detailed assessment of the state of the environment and migration flows, regulation of migration processes due to environmental factors and protection of the rights of environmental migrants is also gradually increasing. However, at present such activity can be considered only as a perspective.