Currently, climate change refugees have few rights. While international law provides protection for political refugees, climate and environmental refugees are inadequately covered. If they are taken in by a neighboring country, the support that they are supposed to receive is unclear.

Developing adaptation strategies

Still, the international community has been able to agree that countries, especially in the southern hemisphere, have to adapt to climate change and protect themselves against natural disasters. In 2011, a Green Climate Fund was set up at the UN Climate Conference in Durban, South Africa, to help countries adapt to climate change. The fund was provided with 30 billion euros ($40 billion) of initial capital, which is now set to be increased to 100 billion euros ($134 billion) by 2020.

Via DW

How does this relate to climate change? Migration. Specifically, climate refugees, people forced to move from their homes when environmental crises prevents them from adapting. Immigration lawyers around the world are trying to find solutions for the potential massive influxes of millions of people who need to move quickly. The US is the number one obvious choice, but getting here is not easy. Once they’re in, here are the immediate benefits: 

Every year some 700,000 people become U.S. citizens at naturalization ceremonies across the country.

By taking the Oath of Allegiance new citizens pledge to be faithful to the Constitution and to serve their new country when needed. In exchange they will enjoy many of the benefits and privileges of being a United States citizen, including the following:

Bringing Family Members

U.S. citizens can help overseas family members legally immigrate to the United States. In fact, the relatives of citizens are generally given priority by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Also, children under age 18 are automatically given U.S. citizenship when their parents become citizens.

Right to Vote

Direct participation in democratic elections is one of the most important privileges that this country offers its citizens. Only U.S. citizens have the right to vote in federal elections and to be candidates in most local, state and federal elections.

International protection

The United States protects its citizens abroad through its embassies and consulates. The U.S. government assists citizens who are victims of crime overseas and provides assistance to U.S. citizens abroad in the case of international disasters or emergencies.

Access to More Jobs

The federal government is one of the biggest employers in the world and offers many job opportunities in a wide range of industries. Job openings are published on USA Jobs.gov. However, the majority of federal jobs require that the applicant be a U.S. citizen.

Participating in a Federal Jury

One of the most important civic responsibilities of citizenship is participating in a federal jury. Members of the jury help determine the innocence or guilt of the accused. Federal jurors are selected at random from databases such as voting and driver license lists.

More Student Aid

The federal government has different types of financial assistance for students, including scholarships and grants that are open exclusively to U.S. citizens.

Watch this video to learn more about the benefits of becoming a US citizen.

When human populations can no longer live on their land, they move, migrating to better places. Sea level rise, higher temperatures, disruption of water cycles, and increasing severity of storms are climate change impacts that will force millions of people to move from their homes.

Most populations will migrate slowly, but in the case of catastrophic events coupled with the inability to adapt, mass migration will occur. Think, New Orleans vs Somalia, where New Orleans is arguably more able to adapt to catastophic weather events than Somalia, which is dealing with millions of people migrating north and west due to climate drought. This shows there are two general types of migration - very slow, and very fast. It’s not a smooth gradient pattern where people slowly and eventually move from place to place, like Americans or Europeans do. No, rather this slow/fast pace is lumpy and jagged, and occurs in unexpected spurts at the extremes.

But what of their destinations? Are countries prepared for these sporadic influxes? In other words, what about the countries that receive these migrants? Are they prepared? A new white paper, Climate Change and Migration Dynamics, funded by the European Union and published by Migration Policy, concludes that international cooperation is needed in order to respond to mass displacements that could occur from climate changes, even in the short-term.

The paper looks at it from the point of view of countries, not from the point of view of the people. From that point of view, the authors take a look at policies that would or would not allow mass migrations within the above context of extremes. The authors split countries policies into two general categories, an obstructive approach and a constructive approach.

Obstructive policies are just that - they purposefully obstruct massive amounts of people from immigrating into their political boundaries. The United States, though relatively generous, would be in this category.

Constructive countries help people maintain their livelihoods in the face of climate change. These countries accommodate climate migrants movements as necessary. New Zealand has a limited climate migration policy, allowing up to 12,000 people from the island nation of Tuvalu to migrate in case complete inundation of the islands by sea level rise. (Note: I didn’t find a country that has very accommodating migration policies, if you know of one, please contact me).

The paper is a short read - just about 10 pages. I recommend it to my adaptation readers as an excellent source of information for international issues of immigration and human responses to climate impacts.

Source: “Climate Change and Migration Dynamics” via Migration Policy