New Zealand deports Kiribati 'climate change refugee' after a four-year battle

WELLINGTON: -- New Zealand has deported a Kiribati man who argued he should be allowed to stay in the country as a refugee because the effects of climate change threatened his homeland.

Ioane Teitiota was deported on Wednesday afternoon after a four-year battle with authorities, arguing that climate change was threatening the viability of his tiny Pacific island homeland.

His wife, Angua Erika, and their three New Zealand-born children will also have to leave, but New Zealand's immigration department has not yet confirmed when.

Michael Kidd, the lawyer representing Mr Teitiota, told the ABC that climate change was not regarded legally as "exceptional circumstances" so he had to return to Kiribati.

Full story: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-23/new-zealand-deports-kiribati-climate-change-refugee/6800230

-- ABC NEWS 2015-09-24

good try

Another climate change nutter bites the dust.

Never heard of Kiribati? It's pretty much a deathh sentence if a decent tyfun goes over the top of the island, which is nly 3 meters above sea level. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2015/mar/11/climate-change-in-the-marshall-islands-and-kiribati-before-and-after-interactive

Another climate change nutter bites the dust.

Yes, those climate change nutters are a tiny minority. Good to shut them up and stop spreading those silly rumours so we can all get back to some proper polluting.

If he could have asylum granted, everyone from Holland could apply for one too.

If they ever started accepting climate change refugees, it wouldn't be long before ever Bangladeshi is trying to 'get in'.

Well, in 2005, the United Nations Environment Programme predicted that climate change would create 50 million climate refugees by 2010.

They never did find them, and had to "disappear" the claim.

Looked for a moment there as if Mr. Teitiota was going to score 1 for the UN, albeit 5 years too late, but it wasn't to be. Back to the drawing board!

ummm.........who cares?

He's in trouble back home for saying bad things about his homeland. One should be careful of what one says in such situations.

He should have bought a cat like the one in the UK did, and was granted to stay

They should at least have given him swimming lessons before they sent him back.

New Zealand was one of the first countries to sign the Trans-pacific Partnership (TPP)Trade agreement, alongwith Brunie, Chile and Singapore.

By rejecting his claim for refugee status the New Zealand government is doing everything so that this agreement is not undermined.

they also dont give nationality to baby's born there ? same same thailand

Are the kids citizens by birth? How does that work in NZ?

As another poster pointed out, Bangladesh is one good typhoon away from dumping 60 or 70 million refugees on some unsuspecting 'safe country'. Most of their Asian neighbors will promptly put "no entry" signs on their borders, so Europe/Australia/New Zealand will be tempting destinations!

The Kiwis are probably just trying to set a precedent.