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Written question asked by Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour) on Wednesday, 9 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Environment Protection: Migration

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of ecosystem collapse on net migration.

Answer

The Government's Nature Security Assessment on Global Biodiversity Loss, Ecosystem Collapse and National Security examines how global biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation could affect the UK's security, resilience and prosperity.

The Assessment notes that biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation act as risk multipliers rather than direct drivers of instability, which can exacerbate resource scarcity, food insecurity and economic disruption, which may contribute to displacement in some regions.

The Assessment is not a prediction and does not quantify potential impacts on UK net migration. Rather, it identifies credible risks that are sufficiently serious to warrant preparation and inform cross-government resilience planning. Its findings are helping the Government strengthen its understanding of nature-related security risks and inform wider policy development on resilience and preparedness.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
23573
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Environment protection Migration
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk