'Climate change refugee' fights to stay in New Zealand

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So on 16 October, the man's lawyer, Michael Kidd, plans to argue the case before New Zealand's high court. Kidd, who specialises in human rights cases, told Associated Press he will appeal the case all the way to the country's supreme court if necessary.


In a transcript of the immigration case obtained by AP, the Kiribati man describes extreme high tides, known as king tides, that he says have started to regularly breach Kiribati's defences – killing crops, flooding homes and making residents sick. New Zealand immigration laws prevent AP from naming him.





Last week, an international panel of climate scientists issued a report saying that it was "extremely likely" that human activity was causing global warming, and predicted that oceans could rise by as much as 0.98 metres by the end of the century. If that were to happen, much of Kiribati would disappear.

Though that is a dire prospect, New Zealand's immigration and protection tribunal has said it is not one that is addressed by laws dealing with refugees.



In his court appeal, Kidd said the fact that many people face the same threat is no grounds to dismiss a claim. He also argued that his client did suffer an indirect form of human persecution because climate change is caused by greenhouse gases generated by human activity. He said his client would also face the threat of a climate-induced breakdown in law and order should he return.


But Hodge added that even if the Kiribati man loses, his case might make a good argument for expanding the definition of what constitutes a refugee. He said he expected there would be increasing pressure on nations such as New Zealand and Australia to help provide new homes for Pacific islanders threatened by rising seas.

Tidal gauges indicate the world's oceans have been rising at an annual rate of 3.2mm (0.1 inches) since 1970. Many scientists expect that rate to accelerate and for climate change to trigger more intense storms, which may pose an even more pressing threat to many of the world's low-lying islands.

Kiribati's government is pursuing its own strategies. It has paid a deposit for 6,000 acres in nearby Fiji, which Kiribati's president, Anote Tong, has said will provide food security and a possible refuge for future generations. The nation has also been talking with a Japanese company about the possibility of constructing a floating island, which would cost billions of dollars.

Rimon Rimon, a Kiribati government spokesman who said his opinions on the matter were his own, said he thought the man in New Zealand was taking the wrong approach. He said the government is working hard to train people in skills such as nursing, carpentry and automotive repairs so that if they do leave Kiribati, they can be productive in their adoptive countries.
