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Groundbreaking Data Report Documents the Impact of Climate Change Disasters on People Seeking Immigration Relief in the United States

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 24, 2024

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Spencer Tilger | media@refugeerights.org

GROUNDBREAKING DATA REPORT DOCUMENTS THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE DISASTERS ON PEOPLE SEEKING IMMIGRATION RELIEF IN THE UNITED STATES

First-of-its-kind cross-border climate data project compiles more than 3,600 responses and firsthand accounts of displaced people seeking safety in the United States

(New York, NY) – Today, the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), Al Otro Lado, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, and Haitian Bridge Alliance released a groundbreaking new report providing definitive evidence that climate change and environmental disasters are substantially impacting people seeking immigration relief in the United States. The report represents the largest data analysis of its kind in the Americas.

Key findings from “Enduring Change: A Data Review of Firsthand Accounts of Climate Mobility Impacts” include:

  • 43% of respondents from the Americas reported experiencing environmental disasters such as hurricanes, droughts, extreme heat, and floods in their home countries.
  • 64% of respondents who experienced disasters in their home countries faced more than one disaster. These events led to the destruction of homes, livelihoods, and physical infrastructure.
  • 29% of respondents who answered a question about specific impacts reported significant income loss or crop failure due to environmental disasters. These economic losses often lead to food insecurity.
  • 21% of respondents who answered a question about specific impacts reported illness or injury, including dehydration, heatstroke, and respiratory issues. Poor living conditions during and after disasters further exacerbate health challenges.
  • Climate disasters are exacerbating violence and conflict in affected regions. Gangs and armed groups often seize control of resources after disasters, leading to extortion, recruitment, and increased violence.

“One of the most acute impacts of the climate crisis is the need to flee home. Climate change impacts and environmental disasters have already displaced whole communities, children, and families, and the need to create safe, orderly, and humane immigration pathways will only increase as climate change intensifies,” said IRAP Climate Director Ama Francis. “This report is the first of its kind to present cross-border climate data based on firsthand accounts of migrants and displaced people in the Americas, documenting how extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, droughts, and floods compound vulnerabilities and force people to seek safety and stability in the United States.”

The report includes recommendations to address the significant impact of climate change on migrants and displaced people. Strengthening and ensuring access to pathways for climate-displaced people is an essential part of an equitable climate response, and existing U.S. law can be used to better protect these individuals displaced by climate change:

  • In some cases, people displaced by climate change should qualify for refugee and asylum status. 
  • Nationals from countries facing severe climate emergencies could receive Temporary Protected Status (TPS). 
  • The U.S. could implement a new humanitarian parole program for climate-displaced individuals.

The report also features excerpts and testimonials from some of the individuals whose stories comprise the data featured in the report. Maria is a 23-year-old woman from El Salvador who experienced multiple disasters, including extreme heat, landslides, and drought, before fleeing home: “The crops were lost,” she said. “What was recovered was little and very expensive, the basic food basket prices increased, and the salary remained the same, very little, not enough to cover all food and education expenses.” She decided to journey to the U.S., traveling by foot through desert terrain and across rivers, and often sleeping outside or in tent encampments. It was very hot and very cold. She described her experience: “The exhaustion, the heat of the sun burned the feet of me and my son. [We went through a] drought, and the cold of sleeping outside in parks or on streets with bags or cardboard.”

“As one of the greatest contributors to the climate crisis, the U.S. government must open new pathways to protection for refugees forced to flee their homes as a result of climate change and natural disasters,” said Nicole Elizabeth Ramos, Border Rights Project Director at Al Otro Lado. “Failure to provide protection is the equivalent of setting refugees’ homes on fire, while withholding the water that could save them.”

“Among the thousands of people seeking safety at our border, the decision to leave home behind is often influenced by environmental disasters. With this report, drawing on real, human stories, we must acknowledge that immigration policy is a cross-cutting issue that does not exist in isolation from other causes of displacement – armed conflict, organized crime, political unrest, and gender-based violence, to name a few,” said Jennifer Babaie, Director of Advocacy and Legal Services at the Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center. “The longer we deflect on comprehensive and humane immigration reform, the greater risk we put ourselves in – our hope is that the evidence collected here can shine a light on the interconnectedness between the right to asylum and climate change.”

“The most devastating aspect of climate displacement is that, after being forced to flee their homelands, migrants face even more climate-driven hardships on their perilous journeys to safety,” said Dahene Gustave, International Humanitarian Director at Haitian Bridge Alliance. “Tragically, countless children and families lose their lives along the way. We are profoundly grateful to contribute to this movement, raising awareness of the struggles communities endure due to the relentless impacts of climate change.”

Additional Resources

The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is a global legal aid and advocacy organization working to create a world where refugees and all people seeking safety are empowered to claim their right to freedom of movement and a path to lasting refuge. Everyone should have a safe place to live and a safe way to get there.

www.refugeerights.org

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