Thread: US Should take more Refugees --- from Climate Change.

UK should open borders to climate refugees, says Bangladeshi minister
Europe and US should also be responsible for millions who will be displaced by climate change, says Abul Maal Abdul Muhith

Up to 20 million Bangladeshis may be forced to leave the country in the next 40 years because of climate change, one of the country's most senior politicians has said. Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Bangladesh's finance minister, called on Britain and other wealthy countries to accept millions of displaced people.

In a clear signal to the US and Europe that developing countries are not prepared to accept a weak deal at next week's Copenhagen climate summit, Abdul Muhith said Bangladesh wanted hosts for managed migration as people began to abandon flooded and storm-damaged coastal areas.

"Twenty million people could be displaced [in Bangladesh] by the middle of the century," Abdul Muhith told the Guardian. "We are asking all our development partners to honour the natural right of persons to migrate. We can't accommodate all these people – this is already the densest [populated] country in the world," he said.

He called on the UN to redefine international law to give climate refugees the same protection as people fleeing political repression. "The convention on refugees could be revised to protect people. It's been through other revisions, so this should be possible," he said.

Tens of thousands of people in Bangladesh and other low-lying areas of Asia are leaving their communities as their homes and land become inundated. But this is the first time that a senior politician from a developing country has openly proposed that those countries considered responsible for climate change should take physical responsibility for the refugees created.

Bangladesh, India, and many small island states such as the Maldives face having to relocate large populations over the next 50 years as sea levels rise up to one metre. This would have profound effects on the 1.5 billion people who presently live in coastal areas. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the scientific body that assesses the impact of climate change, has said there could be 200 million climate change migrants by 2050.

There is mounting evidence in India and Bangladesh and other low-lying countries that sea levels are rising faster than the global average of 1.2mm a year. Islands and coastal communities in the Ganges delta and the Bay of Bengal have recorded rises of up to 5mm a year. In Bangladesh hundreds of coastal villagers are forced to drink salty water as tides continue to rise and the sea intrudes on fresh water aquifers.

Abdul Muhith said managed migration could be positive for Bangladesh and the west: "We can help in the sense of giving the migrants some training, making them fit for existence in some other country.

Managed migration is always better – we can then send people who can attune to life more easily." But he added, in another warning before Copenhagen where money will be a critical issue, that current levels of aid were inadequate. "Total aid in Bangladesh today is less than 2% of GDP. It is almost the same in China and in India. So we, the most populated, least developed country, gets peanuts. This inequity is terribly intolerable."

Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the IPCC, said the Bangladeshi migration proposal should be taken seriously. "This is clearly a warning signal from Bangladesh and similar countries to the developed countries. And I think it has to be taken very seriously. If you accept that those countries that have really not been responsible for causing the problem, and have a legitimate basis for help from the developed countries, then one form of help would certainly be facilitation of immigration from these countries to the developed world," he said.


"If you had 30 or 40 million migrating to other parts of the world, that's a sizable problem for which we have to prepare. And if it requires changes to immigration laws and facilitating people settling down and working in the developed countries, then I suppose this will require legislative action in the developed world," he said.

Douglas Alexander, the international development secretary, said: "As the largest international donor to Bangladesh, Britain has been urging the international community to provide extra money for climate change adaptation." But Jean-Francois Durieux, who is in charge of climate migration at the UN refugee agency, cautioned against reworking the UN convention on refugees.

"The risk of mass migration needs to be managed. It's absolutely legitimate for Bangladesh and the Maldives to make a lot of noise about the very real risk of climate migration – they hope it will make us come to their rescue. But reopening the 1951 convention would certainly result in a tightening of its protections."

He said there was a danger of a backlash in rich countries. "The climate in Europe, North America and Australia is not conducive to a relaxed debate about increasing migration. There is a worry doors will shut if we start that discussion," he said.

There is extreme sensitivity about adapting the UN convention on refugees. A UNHCR report in August warned: "In the current political environment, it could result in a lowering of protection standards for refugees and even undermine the international refugee protection regime altogether."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2 ... ate-change

Originally Posted by judyweller

UK should open borders to climate refugees, says Bangladeshi minister
Europe and US should also be responsible for millions who will be displaced by climate change, says Abul Maal Abdul Muhith

Climate change. You mean Abul Maal Abdul Muhith still believes in this hoax? Perhaps he didn't see the big headlines here in Houston, SNOW STORM! This is the first year in history that we have had back to back years of snow. The first year in history it has ever snowed this early and we also broke an all time low temperature record by several degrees. The only change our climate is going through is a cooling phase. Maybe Bangladesh should do what Mexico needs to do and that is learn how to solve their own problems with their own people.

Why is the responsibility of the Western countries to take these migrants? Bulgaria is also nice, as are the steppes of Russia.

This is what the climate crap is all about. Its not about global warming or climate change at all. Its about taking money from successful countries and giving it to the 3rd world countries. Now its people they want to get rid of because they dont want to take care of them. An easier solution would be to pass out birth control pills and condoms.

I barely know where to start with this one.

Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Bangladesh's finance minister, called on Britain and other wealthy countries to accept millions of displaced people.

We dont want millions of displaced people. What about the millions of displaced Americans that will be the result of this flood of refugees?

"We are asking all our development partners to honour the natural right of persons to migrate. We can't accommodate all these people – this is already the densest [populated] country in the world," he said.

First...there is no "natural right" to migrate. You have too many people...ever heard of BIRTH CONTROL?

But this is the first time that a senior politician from a developing country has openly proposed that those countries considered responsible for climate change should take physical responsibility for the refugees created.

Global warming is a hoax. People are not the cause of global warming or cooling. It happens naturally....so deal with it. We have not created your refugees YOU HAVE. Govern in a more responsible manner.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the scientific body that assesses the impact of climate change, has said there could be 200 million climate change migrants by 2050.

These people are crooks.

In Bangladesh hundreds of coastal villagers are forced to drink salty water as tides continue to rise and the sea intrudes on fresh water aquifers

.
Ever heard of desalination? Instead of screaming for help everytime you have a problem, try working on solutions.

Abdul Muhith said managed migration could be positive for Bangladesh and the west: "We can help in the sense of giving the migrants some training, making them fit for existence in some other country.

What will happen to all the Americans who lose their jobs because there are too many workers here?

"Total aid in Bangladesh today is less than 2% of GDP. It is almost the same in China and in India. So we, the most populated, least developed country, gets peanuts. This inequity is terribly intolerable."

Why are you the most populated, least developed country? You have been around just as long as the other countries. Get you act together and stop whining for help. This can be a "learning moment" for your country.

If you accept that those countries that have really not been responsible for causing the problem, and have a legitimate basis for help from the developed countries, then one form of help would certainly be facilitation of immigration from these countries to the developed world," he said.

Global warming and cooling is a natural occurrence. No one is responsible for your perceived predicament.

And if it requires changes to immigration laws and facilitating people settling down and working in the developed countries, then I suppose this will require legislative action in the developed world," he said.

What provisions will be made for the natural born citizens of the host countries? How will they work and eat? How will they feed their children?

He said there was a danger of a backlash in rich countries. "The climate in Europe, North America and Australia is not conducive to a relaxed debate about increasing migration. There is a worry doors will shut if we start that discussion," he said.

You got that right!!!! We will show you backlash that will redefine the meaning of backlash.

(sigh)

I commend you on your slicing and dicing of this presentation, red. It is becoming evident that the entire thing has been a hoax. Then there are India and China saying they will not do a thing about pollution without compensation (from whom, may I ask?).

Twenty million people could be displaced [in Bangladesh] by the middle of the century," Abdul Muhith told the Guardian. "We are asking all our development partners to honour the natural right of persons to migrate. We can't accommodate all these people – this is already the densest [populated] country in the world," he said.

So who's fault is that? This is isn't about global warming, this is about relocating their excess populace under the guise of climate change!!

What's another 20 million when we have a border that essentially remains wide open for any and all to cross at will!

You see, this is the point the open borders, pro-illegal zealots never can answer. When is enough enough? How many illegals combined with legal immigrants do you want to pour into this country?

When do we as citizens of a sovereign nation have the right to say no more?