No Country Can Force Climate Refugees Back to Their Hometowns: United Nations

Ioane Teitiota’s world was underwater quite figuratively: he was afraid the ocean would swallow his country. Sensing an impending doom and an apocalyptic-like situation he fled to New Zealand in 2006.

Teitiota’s hometown, Kiribati, a small country in Oceania, is expected to become the first country to submerge due to rising sea levels. To protect himself and his family, Teitiota, 38, settled in New Zealand, where he worked as a migrant farmworker. His stay was short-lived.

Four years later, when his work visa was up, Teitiota filed an asylum claim as the world’s first  “climate refugee.” After years of legal battle, however, in 2013, New Zealand rejected his claim.

"I'm the same as people who are fleeing war. Those who are afraid of dying, it's the same as me," Teitiota told BBC after he was deported for overstaying his work visa in 2015. He then appealed to the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHCR). 

Some back story. Between 2014-17 there were a series of court cases in NZ in which Ioane Teitiota attempted to seek asylum. He argued he should not be returned to Kiribati on the basis that climate change had created a situation that was too dangeroushttps://t.co/rJV1xKAPVv

— Alex Randall (@alex_randall) January 22, 2020

The UNHRC upheld New Zealand’s decision because Teitiota did not "objectively face" a threat of being persecuted and Kiribati would only become uninhabitable in 10 to 15 years. The committee concluded that this “could allow for intervening acts by the republic of Kiribati, with the assistance of the international community, to take affirmative measures to protect and, where necessary, relocate its population.” 

But based on Teitiota’ appeal, the committee also said that all countries should prepare for millions of people fleeing their hometowns due to climate related disasters, on Tuesday. In a landmark decision, the United Nations said no government can send people fleeing climate change related disasters back to their country.

According to the United Nations, the climate crisis could “expose individuals to a violation of their rights.” The committee cited articles 6 and 8 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which secures a person’s right to life as reference.

Climate change intensifies and makes natural disasters such as wildfires in Australia and flooding in South Asia more frequent. As the global temperatures increase due to human-induced climate change, glaciers shrink more rapidly and ice on rivers and lakes break up quicker, leading to an increase in sea levels. 

The historic wildfires in Australia likely unleashed about 900M tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, equivalent to nearly double the country’s total yearly fossil fuel emissions, scientists say. https://t.co/4IuNUATUox

— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 23, 2020

Considering that Tarawa, the main island where Teitiota resides, is only 3m (9.8ft) above sea level, his fears seem logical. Thousands of people in Kiribati and many other low-lying areas are expecting to die in their native-lands. Those who have hope consider migrating to a safer place. According to a 2018 World Bank report, 143 million people in South Asia, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa could become climate migrants.

143 million people across South Asia, Africa, and Latin America are at risk of becoming climate migrants. Those least responsible for the #climatecrisis will be the ones most impacted and could be forced to flee their homes due to climate change. https://t.co/aNOrAKf7Te

— Clean Energy Canada (@cleanenergycan) January 23, 2020

As low-lying areas become uninhabitable and resources become scarce, world peace would be directly threatened. Researchers studying migration patterns warned that the warming planet played a significant role in migrants fleeing Middle Eastern conflicts. A Pentagon Report also said forest fires and rising sea levels threaten U.S. security.

For millions of migrants around the world the United Nations’ ruling has opened several doors. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Singapore, UN Commissioner Filippo Grandi said the judgement this week meant those fleeing as a result of climate change had to be treated by recipient countries as refugees, with broad implications for governments.

"The ruling says if you have an immediate threat to your life due to climate change, due to the climate emergency, and if you cross the border and go to another country, you should not be sent back because you would be at risk of your life, just like in a war or in a situation of persecution," Grandi said.

"We must be prepared for a large surge of people moving against their will," he said. "I wouldn't venture to talk about specific numbers. It's too speculative, but certainly we're talking about millions here.”

With @OkelloMo4 and @MoAljounde, both of whom have gone through the tough experience of being refugees but are saying to leaders in #Davos to just look at them as young people with extraordinary potential, new ideas and amazing energy to fight for a better world. pic.twitter.com/sMgIFIofxP

— Filippo Grandi (@FilippoGrandi) January 22, 2020

The U.N. committee did not find enough evidence to support Teitiota who still remains in his hometown.

"I think being a refugee is the best way of protecting myself. Especially if something happens to Kiribati," Teitiota had told BBC in 2015.

"I wanted to stay in New Zealand because it's a better life there," he says.