What Does It Mean to Be a Climate Refugee?
In 2012, Teitiota’s visa expired. That’s when he began his journey to
become the world’s first formally recognized climate refugee. He applied
for refugee status in New Zealand and argued that he would face
enormous hardship and imminent death, not unlike a persecuted minority,
should he be sent home. His bid was rejected by several New Zealand
courts, so he appealed his case until it reached the United Nations
Human Rights Committee, which decides whether countries have violated
international humanitarian law.