A recognition for climate refugees?
Recognition of Climate Refugees | 20.12.2009 19:46 | COP15 Climate Summit 2009 | Ecology
Scientists are convinced that we will have in the next 50 years between 50 and 250 million people will have to flee, as a result of climate change. Unfortunately these people have no status.
People who have to flee because of climate change do not fit in the definition of refugee of the Geneva Convention on Refugees. These people do not flee because of a well-founded fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality or political opinion or membership of a particular social group. Climate Refugees are not legal. Will Europe urge to legally protect and provide shelter to these people? Europe is partly responsible for the suffering that many of these people must undergo. In September 2009, Andy Vermaut from Belgium was the first one to address a petition to the European Parliament on this issue. Meanwhile, he received a letter from the mayor of Ghent (Belgium) who said that he would do an effort so that already European socialists would support this initiative. Andy hopes that other European parties will also support the recognition of an international status for climate refugees.
He also wishes to introduce the term of climate change migrants instead of climate refugees. This definition would be more respectful for the victims affected by the impacts of climate change. In this proposal, he highly stressed the situation of Tuvalu.
He also wishes to introduce the term of climate change migrants instead of climate refugees. This definition would be more respectful for the victims affected by the impacts of climate change. In this proposal, he highly stressed the situation of Tuvalu.
Recognition of Climate Refugees
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climate refugees, already exist...
20.12.2009 22:29
What would drive these people to seek to relocate to a (former) war-zone, Bougainville?
(www.eco-action.org/ssp)
(www.eco-action.org/bougainville)
Rising sea levels
anon
'climate refugees' - don't exist
21.12.2009 13:51
- It's not the weather that makes people poor, it's their economic circumstance. We're always being told that African's are poor because they are so unlucky with the weather and the climate. Remember the Band Aid bullshit, "Where nothing ever grows. No rain nor rivers flow. Do they know it's Christmas time at all ...". Isn't this echoed again in talk of climate refugees?
There are areas of the Netherlands that are below sea level, and with resources you can farm on arid land and there is rainforest on the equator in Africa...etc (my point being that the weather is not the deciding factor of your quality of life, and it is your ability to cope with changes in the climate that is crucial).
- Using the term 'climate refugees' is also problematic because it plays up to the increasing fear of migrants.
But I'm not denying that climate change is a problem and that it is hitting the majority world hardest, I just think we should be really careful with the term 'climate refugees'.
Jen