[DRAFT #1c] Protecting Climate Change Refugees

[Tinhampton]

Character count: 1,995
Word count: 311

ICly by Alexander Smith, Tinhamptonian Delegate-Ambassador to the World Assembly.

OOC: This proposal is unrelated to Ariddia's infamous Climate Refugee Commission of yore, lest any veryoldtimers get the quivers. The Associated Press notes that "[n]o nation offers protection to people specifically displaced because of climate change"... see also this in general and this for RECOGNISING

Protecting Climate Change Refugees
A resolution to reduce income inequality and increase basic welfare.

Category: Social Justice

Strength: Mild

Proposed by: Tinhampton

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Aware that the lives and livelihoods of many people could be put at risk by the direct and indirect effects of climate change (including changing sea levels, consistently abnormal average and extreme temperatures, more extreme natural disasters, and conflict over essential natural resources such as food and water that could become increasingly scarce in those areas worst affected by climate change),

Recognising that these people will likely be disproportionately working-class or otherwise marginalised, and thus disproportionately low emitters of carbon dioxide and other pollutants associated with the exacerbation of some of the worst forms of climate change, and

Believing that member states should help those among these people who truly desire refuge within their jurisdiction...

The General Assembly hereby:

1. defines a "climate change refugee" as a person who has been made homeless as a result of climate change and who lives in a nation that cannot relocate them to an area within their jurisdiction where they are unlikely to be rendered homeless again for such reasons,
2. requires each member state to grant to climate change refugees who seek asylum within their nation exactly the same support services and legal protections that they grant to all other refugees who so seek asylum,
3. mandates that members refrain from discriminating against applications for asylum on the grounds that those applications were filed by a climate change refugee, except where accepting such applications by climate change refugees would pose a significant danger to the health and safety of that member state's inhabitants,
4. recommends that those members who are able to do so welcome climate change refugees from abroad to their territory, and
5. suggests that members who are able to internally relocate those within their jurisdiction who have been made homeless as a result of climate change without the risk of their being made homeless again for such reasons do so.

[Trellania]

Dame Allania Trueblood wanders in, then stops and looks at the proposal. And then the authoring nation. There is a brief twitch as she recognizes the name. Okay, at this point, if I were that delegation I would start to assume there is some kind of personal opposition rather than just a ongoing set of unfortunate circumstances.

"Ambassador, please forgive me, but Trellania must oppose Article c of this proposal. The vast majority of our nation is within the Antarctic Circle, and we have already paid the price in our past for mismanagement of the environment. We can attest based on first-hand experience of our ancestors that you absolutely do not want that ice melting. And we rely on the fact our population growth is relatively slow to help keep us from making the mistakes of our ancestors.

"If we were to accept climate refugees, it would risk pushing our population past the point of our ability to manage the heat output from. That would melt the ice faster and probably release another rather deadly plague that humans have no adaption to. Then you would have a far worse problem than climate change.

"As such, to prevent an increase in climate change, to prevent worsening problems for climate change refugees, and to keep humanity from dying to some plague that existed millions of years ago... Trellania would have to turn away, and if necessary destroy, any vessel bearing climate change refugees. And considering the potential risk to all of humanity, we are willing to pay any fines for noncompliance."

OOC: OOCly, I would support this utterly on all provisions. But ICly, required to oppose for practical reasons.

[Picairn]

"So... many... drafts..."

The Picairnian ambassador collapses from fatigue.

[Tinhampton]

Smith: This proposal does not require Trellania or any other nation to accept refugees of any description - only that if it does accept refugees, it must accept climate change refugees on an equal basis with all other categories of refugee that exist.

[Trellania]

"I am aware, Ambassador. But my nation does have a process for accepting refugees, and this puts us in a position where for the greater good of humanity we will have to stop. Which will mean one less friendly port in the Antarctic. In the long run, that harms refugees of all origins."

[Tinhampton]

Smith: Dame Allania, why do you believe that your nation's policy of not accepting climate change refugees on the basis that doing so "would risk pushing our population past the point of our ability to manage the heat output from" - thus "melt[ing] the ice faster" - constitute a violation of Article c, rather than grounds for rejection not made solely on the basis of being a CCR?

[Trellania]

"Because we would be denying them on the basis they're a CCR but letting in other refugees. Most refugees of other origins are not going to brave having to live near the ice when there are closer refuges that are more suitable in climate.

"But when it comes to climate change, we're in the best spot; the amount of inhabitable land we have access to only stands to grow as the ice melts, whereas many other nations would see that land shrinking. If I were a climate change refugee, I certainly would be willing to live near the ice now if it meant my grandchildren did not have to flee climate change in the future. As the number of climate change refugees grow, we're going to see a growth of people having the same thought I am.

"But most climate change refugees don't know what we do: That ice contains things far worse the mere water content it locks. We know how to deal with that issue because we have to live with it. Climate change refugees are not going to have that knowledge, and we will likely be too busy containing new diseases the ice releases to teach them."

[Tinhampton]

the Economic Liberties Federation - public statement
Regarding the proposal on Protecting Climate Change Refugees

---

from Kenny Bayliss, chief spokesperson for the ELF:
With the recent expulsion of Bianca Venkman from the delegation, it appears that Delegate-Ambassador Alexander Smith has taken it upon himself to be Tinhampton's leading socialist voice in the World Assembly - leaving the truly heavy lifting to Mrs Anderson, his deputy then and now (as well as a close friend of mine). His latest vanity project appears to be an attempt - among other things - to require member states to accept climate refugees like they would any other refugee.
The Ambassador for Trellania has repeatedly expressed her concerns that this requirement will lead to deadly pathogens being released from the ice that her nation's inhabitants live on. These concerns are not unfounded - Tinhampton has had to deal with several pandemics since its incorporation over ninety years ago and will have to deal with plenty more in the future. Why Smith has chosen to ignore these concerns, as well as those raised in ELF Briefing Paper 17-2006 "Is Tinhampton Ready For Bird Flu?", is unknown, especially given that pandemics of communicable respiratory diseases have been repeatedly and empirically proven to damage national economies.
The ELF applauds Anderson's recent decision to add a common-sense exception to Article c permitting member states to reject requests for asylum by climate refugees if their acceptance would - for instance - lead to the onset of future pandemics. We are hopeful that her outreach efforts can remain intact when Smith decides to send off his proposal.

[Trellania]

"Trellania will fully support this proposal now. We are glad to see this concern has been addressed."

[Disembodied Voice]

A voice seemingly coming out of thin air right behind the author's left ear says, "Anything written for a case where a nation becomes uninhabitable because of climate change should start from that nation's responsibility for its people, not a duty to other nations to pay for their mistakes. If the nation has the ability, for example, to purchase land from elsewhere to house their citizens on, it should absolutely be mandated to first exhaust all means at its use, before relying on other nations to take their excess people. I would also suggest some recommendation to not let the population expand beyond the environment's support capability, but I know you are most likely too uncivilized to do so. You would rather uproot people and force them to abandon their ancestral identities because it is more profitable in the short term."

[CoraSpia]

"As a representative of a nation with open borders, which does not impose tests or qualification beyond residence for citizenship, I applaud this attempt to partially open the world and to spread compassion into the often over-protectionist realm of border policy. The Haven offers its full support."

[Disembodied Voice]

"As a representative of a nation with open borders, which does not impose tests or qualification beyond residence for citizenship, I applaud this attempt to partially open the world and to spread compassion into the often over-protectionist realm of border policy. The Haven offers its full support."

A voice whispered behind the Havenian ambassador's left ear, "And what happens when you run out of resources to support your people with?"

[CoraSpia]

"As a representative of a nation with open borders, which does not impose tests or qualification beyond residence for citizenship, I applaud this attempt to partially open the world and to spread compassion into the often over-protectionist realm of border policy. The Haven offers its full support."

A voice whispered behind the Havenian ambassador's left ear, "And what happens when you run out of resources to support your people with?"

The Havenic ambassador seemed utterly unphased by the disembodied voice as he whispered back:
"Why, the world is filled with weak and defenceless states. They have land to spare.

[Picairn]

A voice whispered behind the Havenian ambassador's left ear, "And what happens when you run out of resources to support your people with?"

The Picairnian ambassador is sitting in the drafting room. He has recovered from his previous collapse, took a seat behind the Havenic ambassador, and is now watching the debate after finding no major faults with the proposal. Suddenly, he hears a faint whisper in the air, whose sound comes from the ambassador's left ear and is distinctly female.

"And what happens when you run out of resources to support your people with?"

He is briefly confused and looks around for the source but finds none. A nagging feeling arises inside his mind that whoever whispered is most likely an incorporeal entity. Standing up and secretly hoping that he isn't embarrassing himself in front of his peers by talking to the air, he addresses the voice:

"Whoever that spoke to the Havenic ambassador just now, you can't possibly suggest that climate change refugees are just a burden to the state and not potential new workers and wealth creators of a country. Refugees work too."

He sits down and wonders what that female voice was.

[Laka Strolistandiler]

Opposed. If a nation fails to maintain its climate conditions within reasonable amount than that’s their problem and failed responsibility. Laka has little to no problem if they suffer.

[Laka Strolistandiler]

A voice whispered behind the Havenian ambassador's left ear, "And what happens when you run out of resources to support your people with?"

"Sir you can't possibly suggest that climate change refugees are just a burden to the state and not potential new workers and wealth creators of a country. Refugees work too."

…And they also alter your culture, bring in new religions, they carry diseases, they change political conditions.

[Disembodied Voice]

A voice whispered behind the Havenian ambassador's left ear, "And what happens when you run out of resources to support your people with?"

The Havenic ambassador seemed utterly unphased by the disembodied voice as he whispered back:
"Why, the world is filled with weak and defenceless states. They have land to spare.

The whispering voice chuckled a little. "Always remember that you belong to that category too, for someone else."

[Picairn]

…And they also alter your culture,

"With what? Mind control? Brainwashing? Picairnians don't suddenly change their cultures overnight when new immigrants arrive on the block."

bring in new religions,

"And why is this a bad thing? All cultures and religions are accepted in Picairn as long as they respect the rule of law and democratic values of the Empire."

they carry diseases,

"Screening and medical checkups exist. We don't have completely open borders, but we do welcome immigrants with easy pathways to citizenship."

they change political conditions.

"Immigrants can't vote until they have acquired citizenship."

[Araraukar]

OOC: So why are "climate change refugees" anything more than people just wanting to upgrade their living standards by emigrating? Because "where they are unlikely to be rendered homeless again for such reasons" is wonderfully vague in that it doesn't specify if that's within the lifespan of the person or within the next 4-5 billion years when their homestar is likely to make the planet uninhabitable entirely.

The "within their lifetime" specifier should definitely be added to it, and even then their home nation should defray some of the costs of re-settling them. I mean, if the nation is going belly-up entirely, it should use its remaining resources in re-homing its people anyway.

RL example of an island nation likely to be made uninhabitable soonish by climate change, and which has bought land off of another nation to possibly rehome their people to: https://www.iberdrola.com/environment/k ... ate-change

And yes, the article mentions World Bank bugging NZ and Australia to open their borders to the islanders, but in NS that isn't what the proposal wants (as currently worded); to put the proposal's wants in RL terms, it would be asking nations in other solar systems and universes to take on these refugees, not just the nearest rich nations with higher elevations. Not to mention that in RL any nation with big cities on seashores is "at risk of climate change" and likely to have internal refugees of their own. (We live in a scary world.)

[Tinhampton]

Dead people cannot become homeless.

[Araraukar]

Dead people cannot become homeless.

OOC: But they tend to have children before they die. Unless you mean the proposal applies singularly only to those who actually move from one nation to another and then the nation they move into can forcibly integrate their children as their own citizens, the parents' wishes be damned?

[Separatist Peoples]

"So long as we can continue refusing refugees under the pre-existing structure, we have no issues with this."

[Rightport]

You may have seen on interntional headlines ; The Government of Rightport recently announced it's plan to resettle 1.2 billion Refugees by Jan 2024. Information can be found here.viewtopic.php?f=5&t=506720

Regarding this proposal, I will be sure to address this issue with our Federal Minister of International Affairs. I don't believe our government gave consideration to this particular class of refugees , unintentionally. Perhaps, if passed, I'm sure we can revise our policy to include climate refugees and facilitate the resettlement of such persons covered under this resolution.

[Tinhampton]

Any further thoughts on this one?

[Forget MeNot]

I support this. In an ideal situation, climate conditions would be withheld to minimize this issue in the first place. However, since there are refugees, I accept this proposal.