Australia immigration to face 75 million refugees as result of global warming
July 29 2009 by Matt Jones
Refugees on the move to Australia
A report by Oxfam Australia and the Australia Institute states that global warming will create a potential refugee crisis in Australia.
They estimate, as a direct result of adverse environmental conditions, 75 million refugees from the Asia Pacific region will move to Australia in the next 40 years.
The effects of global warming are already being felt in pacific islands north of Australia.
Andrew Hewett, executive director of Oxfam Australia says:
“They're facing increasing food and water shortages, they're losing land, they're being forced from their homes, they're dealing with rising cases of malaria and they're facing much more intense weather patterns.”
The report puts pressure on Australia immigration to put new immigration measures in place to help people move to Australia with a softening of immigration laws
Dr Richard Denniss, executive director of independent think tank Australia Institute says:
“In time, we do need to discuss the very real possibility of some of these people having to move.”
He went on to say that the government has gone silent here on the issue of Australia visas.
Australia has allocated $150 million to help with climate change in the Pacific. As the regions wealthiest country and one of the world’s worst polluters, $150 million seems like a drop in a rising ocean.
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