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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think climate change will force a complete rethinking about immigration?

210 replies

OneMoreBanana · 13/08/2026 10:07

I'm not sure how many people, on the ground or in government policy making, have connected the dots here.

The climate crisis disproportionately affects the global south, where average temperatures are hotter, infrastructure less developed and available economic resources for mitigation lower. This is already making life in some areas, that have previously supported human communities for thousands of years, near impossible. There is talk of whole cities having to be abandoned.

The same crisis is primarily created by the industrialised countries of the global north, whose per capita emissions far outweigh those of less industrialised countries.

So if/when the large scale exodus of millions of people from no-longer-habitable environments becomes inevitable, two questions arise: Is it MORAL to disallow those people asylum in countries like the UK? And is it PRACTICABLE to do so - when the "small boats" issue becomes an increasingly large number of increasingly large boats, do we literally just view it as warfare and gun them down, or what?

These questions apply regardless of how you feel about immigration currently. If you are a hardline Brexiteer or otherwise strongly for controlling and reducing immigration, can you see a point in the future where it will no longer be tenable, either morally or practically, to maintain that position? And if you are liberal on immigration, can you see a point where having to be even more liberal will mean letting go altogether of many aspects of the UK's (and other countries') "identity"?

Interested in a range of perspectives - I think there's a whole bunch of sacred cows that may end up slaughtered by this. However if you believe that climate change either isn't happening or isn't due to human activity, please just jog on past and grow a brain cell or two. Life is too short.

OP posts:
HoppityBun · 13/08/2026 11:46

Dutch1e · 13/08/2026 10:56

Europe is heating up faster than any other continent on the planet

I read this too and I'm not convinced. I think that Europe is the continent most likely to efficiently track data and to publish it promptly.

Personally I think the global picture is much more bleak, as demonstrated by the fact that the only region heating up faster than Europe is the Arctic.

I agree with most of this but Australia and New Zealand are reliable sources and are publishing data

smallglassbottle · 13/08/2026 11:46

TemperanceWest · 13/08/2026 11:43

What is going to become of the UK?

More people, more concrete, more trash and litter, more dead wildlife, no healthcare and people fighting in the streets. A bit like Mogadishu, but with more rain.

AutisticMumOf2 · 13/08/2026 11:46

CupidsPysche · 13/08/2026 11:34

This thread reminds me of the dystopian novel The Wall by John Lanchester where UK inhabitants have to serve time on The Wall defending the UK from “the others”. A recent novel, published I think, in the last ten years. It has its issues but a dark and sobering read.

Sounds a bit like the nights watch from Game of thrones.

StandingDeskDisco · 13/08/2026 11:45

smallglassbottle · 13/08/2026 11:39

Will the people that we're having in be able to grow the economy though?

Any people coming are better than no people coming. Even the most unskilled migrant will still buy stuff (consume) and pay rent to someone.

Not that I advocate for this. From a deep green perspective, we need to stop population growth, stop economic growth, abandon fiat money and profit, and massively reduce the 'lifestyle' of everyone in the developed world.

SatansScrotum · 13/08/2026 11:44

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 13/08/2026 10:34

There are multiple catastrophes happening simultaneously. We are technologically on the precipice of mass unemployment whilst in a timeframe of active climate change and resource scarcity. The people at the top are anticipating a lot of death of the people at the bottom and are hoping that will help with the resource burden. That’s why they are doing absolutely nothing about migration and not too much about the climate, as the hope is one will cancel out the other. I fully expect another man-made pandemic will be unleashed and that will wipe out the vulnerable as they are too expensive to care for and will help with the Eugenics problem.

If the pandemic was man-made and for the point of wiring people out, why was a vaccine developed so quickly?

In the old days, pandemics would have raged far more fiercely until natural resistance developed.

Arguably, healthcare improvements are a cause of the resource strain. Even a century ago we didn't have nearly as many people surviving childbirth, childhood and into old age.

smallglassbottle · 13/08/2026 11:44

EasternStandard · 13/08/2026 11:41

How many people do you think should be welcomed?

I'm sure we could easily manage 200 million and that would surely save the NHS and social care 😂 they could even build a couple of HMOs on Rockall.

TemperanceWest · 13/08/2026 11:43

angelos02 · 13/08/2026 11:22

As a pp said. I am glad I am old - not old enough not to see what is going to become of the UK though. It is all too late.

What is going to become of the UK?

EasternStandard · 13/08/2026 11:41

Gengha · 13/08/2026 11:33

Yes climate refugees are likely to become a thing.

No I expect most people here particularly Reform voters wouldn’t give a shit and certainly not agree that any of them should come and live here.

How many people do you think should be welcomed?

EasternStandard · 13/08/2026 11:41

StandingDeskDisco · 13/08/2026 11:36

Overpopulation in Britain is not going to be a problem for long. The fertility rate is about 1.4, well below the 2.1 required to sustain population, and deaths now outnumber births.

Not many people realise the effect of reducing population on the economy. Fewer people means fewer consumers, fewer renters, fewer home owners, fewer workers, less profit.
A growth economy based on fiat money needs a growing population as well as an ever increasing money supply.

This is partly why politicians and "the elite" need net migration.
Because the alternative, an economy that doesn't grow and produces no profit, is unthinkable to them.

That may be the case still although tech might change the picture somewhat.

I think we were wedded to the Ponzi scheme of having to up the population but maybe we can get through it better as the need for workers falls anyway.

smallglassbottle · 13/08/2026 11:39

StandingDeskDisco · 13/08/2026 11:36

Overpopulation in Britain is not going to be a problem for long. The fertility rate is about 1.4, well below the 2.1 required to sustain population, and deaths now outnumber births.

Not many people realise the effect of reducing population on the economy. Fewer people means fewer consumers, fewer renters, fewer home owners, fewer workers, less profit.
A growth economy based on fiat money needs a growing population as well as an ever increasing money supply.

This is partly why politicians and "the elite" need net migration.
Because the alternative, an economy that doesn't grow and produces no profit, is unthinkable to them.

Will the people that we're having in be able to grow the economy though?

StandingDeskDisco · 13/08/2026 11:36

Goingmadddd · 13/08/2026 10:55

I voted for Brexit. One of the main reasons was immigration because we seem to forget we live on an island.

It’s funny because people call that racist. What I think is racist is when people here think we don’t have to have enough food to feed ourselves because we should just take it from where? Another country? Can they feed themselves? Are we expecting them to plan for not only their own country but ours too?

And why is that? Because we have more money? Because we are British and so take what we want?

So for that reason we need to have a serious discussion about the carrying capacity of Britain. And we must keep our population including immigration within those levels.

And that’s harsh as you say people will die. If we don’t do it - we will die too.

Overpopulation in Britain is not going to be a problem for long. The fertility rate is about 1.4, well below the 2.1 required to sustain population, and deaths now outnumber births.

Not many people realise the effect of reducing population on the economy. Fewer people means fewer consumers, fewer renters, fewer home owners, fewer workers, less profit.
A growth economy based on fiat money needs a growing population as well as an ever increasing money supply.

This is partly why politicians and "the elite" need net migration.
Because the alternative, an economy that doesn't grow and produces no profit, is unthinkable to them.

Boxiboxi21 · 13/08/2026 11:36

There's a third option which isn't talked about enough - giving overseas aid and loans to boost the livelihoods of people suffering from the worst effects of climate change.

CupidsPysche · 13/08/2026 11:34

This thread reminds me of the dystopian novel The Wall by John Lanchester where UK inhabitants have to serve time on The Wall defending the UK from “the others”. A recent novel, published I think, in the last ten years. It has its issues but a dark and sobering read.

Gengha · 13/08/2026 11:33

OneMoreBanana · 13/08/2026 10:23

If whole areas of North Africa become uninhabitable you don't think it will increase population flows to southern Europe?

Yes climate refugees are likely to become a thing.

No I expect most people here particularly Reform voters wouldn’t give a shit and certainly not agree that any of them should come and live here.

Ilovemyshed · 13/08/2026 11:32

All these problems. I don’t know why someone doesn’t just ask AI to model a solution, it seems to be the answer to everything else 🤷🏽‍♀️

(sarcasm intended)

Signalbox · 13/08/2026 11:28

“Interested in a range of perspectives - I think there's a whole bunch of sacred cows that may end up slaughtered by this. However if you believe that climate change either isn't happening or isn't due to human activity, please just jog on past and grow a brain cell or two. Life is too short.”

This made me laugh.

smallglassbottle · 13/08/2026 11:28

We will face the choice between being over run with people or fighting for our survival as a country. This will inevitably mean closing our border and gunning down anyone trying to breach it. Will a government have the stomach to do such a thing? We will wait and see.

EmeraldShamrock000 · 13/08/2026 11:24

Greece recorded 48,298 irregular refugee and migrant arrivals in 2025, which represents a 21% decrease compared to the 60,886 arrivals documented in 2024.

Not an achievement. Crazy numbers.
That is 100,000 if that continues over a two year period for the next few years? That’s one country.

SadiraOfTyr · 13/08/2026 11:24

OneMoreBanana · 13/08/2026 10:50

Quick AI answer says:

Greece recorded 48,298 irregular refugee and migrant arrivals in 2025, which represents a 21% decrease compared to the 60,886 arrivals documented in 2024.

I don't know if that's what you meant by "almost zero". If those numbers were increased 100 or 1,000 fold (Greece being at the European edge of one of the most climate-prone regions of the world) they certainly wouldn't be perceived as such.

If you actually looked at the sources, rather than blindly believing whatever crap 'AI' feeds you, you would see that the new policy was introduced in July 2025 and the legal framework ratified in February this year so the 2025 numbers are hardly relevant. Anyone entering Greece irregularly has two choices: immediate return, or prison (followed by deportation). All irregular migrants are taken to a secure centre on Crete for processing.

angelos02 · 13/08/2026 11:22

As a pp said. I am glad I am old - not old enough not to see what is going to become of the UK though. It is all too late.

Meteorite87 · 13/08/2026 11:22

Not voted but I think YABU for believing the policy makers will have that much foresight 😐

The leader of one of the most powerful nations continues to deny climate change even exists.

Not disagreeing with your points that cc should drive changes @OneMoreBanana . I think those in power will only make changes when situations world wide are even more desperate than they are now.

EmeraldShamrock000 · 13/08/2026 11:21

Loopylalalou · 13/08/2026 11:20

To lighten the doom, thank goodness we’ve plenty of ammo and guns to use it….(hunting, shooting family on farm).

Can I come to live with you? 😅 I have two bottles of deep heat spray.

Weeellokthen · 13/08/2026 11:21

EmeraldRoulette · 13/08/2026 10:15

Yep, I would like to leave if we have another summer like this

😂

Loopylalalou · 13/08/2026 11:20

To lighten the doom, thank goodness we’ve plenty of ammo and guns to use it….(hunting, shooting family on farm).

angelos02 · 13/08/2026 11:19

Ah - but remember, net migration is down. But lets not talk about who is leaving and who is coming in. Also, boat crossing are down. But lets not talk about the increase in the other ways people are coming in. I wish people would wake up.

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