22 Jan 2020

UN ruling means NZ could have to take climate refugees - expert

From Morning Report, 8:22 am on 22 January 2020

An expert on refugee law says a new ruling from the United Nations would mean New Zealand has to take climate refugees.

In a landmark case the UN has found it is unlawful for governments to send people back to countries where climate change exposes people to life-threatening risks or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

The ruling follows the case of Ioane Teitiota from the tiny island of Kiribati who became the world's first climate change refugee in 2015 when his application for asylum in New Zealand was denied.

He took the case the UN claiming New Zealand had violated his right to life.

Professor Jane McAdam, director of the Kaldor centre for international refugee law at the University of New South Wales, speaks to Corin Dann.