CLIMATE CHANGE MIGRANTS GET LEGAL VICTORY
Has the era of the ‘climate change refugee’ begun?
Rick Noack, August 7, 2014 (Washington Post)
“…[In] a landmark refugee ruling that could mark the beginning of a wave of similar cases.] a Tuvalu family was granted residency by the Immigration and Protection Tribunal in New Zealand after claiming to be threatened by climate change…If the current sea level rise continues, experts believe the island might disappear in approximately 30 to 50 years. Tuvalu shares this existential threat with many other island nations and coastal regions…Predictions for climate change-induced displacement range widely from 150 to 300 million people by 2050, with low-income countries having the far largest burden of disaster-induced migration, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center…[but victims] of climate change are not recognized as refugees by the International Refugee Convention…In its judgment the New Zealand tribunal surprisingly acknowledged the humanitarian consequences of climate change…While the tribunal's decision may not have the same impact everywhere, it could send a strong signal to a number of nations, such as Sweden and Finland, that often grant asylum to people affected by natural disasters…” click here for more
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