It is no secret to lawyers and human rights activists that international refugee law does not accomodate those who lose their homes due to anthropogenic climate change.
New Zealand’s denial of a claim for refugee status by a man from Kirabati has confirmed this standard analysis. The Kirabati islands are low-lying, and are increasingly inundated due to rising sea levels.
But loss of one’s home-land due to climate change is not a form of political persecution, and so does not meet the legal standards for refugee status.
Despite the failure of this plaintiff’s bid to up-date New Zealand’s refugee laws, the suit demonstrates the clear need for new law.
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