EU told to prepare itself for millions of climate change refugees

[+Green Blog]

Refugee children waiting with their family for a food distribution. Photo by Nicolas Rost.

Two senior foreign policy officials from the European Union says in a new report that the EU should “brace itself” for a new and much larger wave of migration, caused by the effects of climate change. According to their report climate change “threatens to severely destabilise the planet” and will make a fifth of the worlds population homeless.

Javier Solana and Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the EU’s chief foreign policy coordinator and the European commissioner for external relations, says that within a decade “there will be millions of environmental migrants, with climate change as one of the major drivers of this phenomenon,” and that “Europe must expect substantially increased migratory pressure.”

The report says that the devastating effects of climate change will be “felt far away from Europe,” but that the problems will eventually come knocking on its door. People, especially the poor, will suffer in places like south Asia, the Middle East, central Asia, Africa and Latin America.

“This could be in the form of mass migration, destabilisation of parts of the world vital to European security, radicalisation of politics and populations, north-south conflict because of the perceived injustice of the causes and effects of global warming, famines caused by arable land loss, wars over water, energy, and other natural resources.”

Javier Solana and Benita Ferrero-Waldner also say that the new world order caused by climate change will undermine the democratic and civil UN system.

“The multilateral system is at risk if the international community fails to address the threats. Climate change impacts will fuel the politics of resentment between those most responsible for climate change and those most affected by it … and drive political tension nationally and internationally.”

It will be interesting to see if EU will continue on the path to a fortress society or if it will open up its borders to environment refugees. If our leaders doesn’t decide to do anything adequate to stop climate change I personally find that to be, unfortunately, very unlikely.

No matter how much we in the EU need “fresh blood” to keep our welfare systems going, we will probably in a near future have turned the once democratic institution of EU into an ecofascist fortress.

View the full article

[mountainhiker]

Javier Solana and Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the EU’s chief foreign policy coordinator and the European commissioner for external relations

No matter how much we in the EU need “fresh blood†to keep our welfare systems going, we will probably in a near future have turned the once democratic institution of EU into an ecofascist fortress.

I love it when shallow minds like these two start using terms like ecofascist. I doubt that the fresh blood they need is more people on welfare! Just how is that going to keep the system going? Negative attacks like this on the EU never bring any resolution to any issue.... :sceptical: and show how little understanding of the term fascist that these really have.

[Simon]

First of all I would like to make it clear that this quote is my own opinion about all this:

No matter how much we in the EU need “fresh blood” to keep our welfare systems going, we will probably in a near future have turned the once democratic institution of EU into an ecofascist fortress.

I love it when shallow minds like these two start using terms like ecofascist. I doubt that the fresh blood they need is more people on welfare! Just how is that going to keep the system going? Negative attacks like this on the EU never bring any resolution to any issue.... :sceptical: and show how little understanding of the term fascist that these really have.

The EU has an aging population. We are getting older and we don't make enough babies to be able to keep our welfare systems going in the future. We need immigration badly, or our systems will crash. There has even been talks to introduce a blue card in the EU, similar to USA's green card.

[Karl]

Two senior foreign policy officials from the European Union says in a new report that the EU should “brace itself†for a new and much larger wave of migration, caused by the effects of climate change. According to their report climate change “threatens to severely destabilise the planet†and will make a fifth of the worlds population homeless.

How are they so sure that the effects of climate change will be sending "new refugees" to the EU?

Considering the proximity of Europe to the Arctic, in the event of any acceleration of polar melting, wouldn't it seem more likely that climate change may create refugees from the EU?

[Simon]

How are they so sure that the effects of climate change will be sending "new refugees" to the EU?

Considering the proximity of Europe to the Arctic, in the event of any acceleration of polar melting, wouldn't it seem more likely that climate change may create refugees from the EU?

The first climate refugees will be poor people from developing countries in Africa, Asia, Middle East etc. Of course some of us in Europe will become climate refugees as well. But after years of imperialism and capitalistic globalisation we are more prepared for things like this as we got the money and the technology needed. I dont think we in Europe will be affected by this until by 2050 and 2100. If our systems and the world peace can hold for so long.

[mountainhiker]

wouldn't it seem more likely that climate change may create refugees from the EU?

I guess only if England becomes the next Arctic! Which is not likely. More likely that the EU area may see a better climate, warmer winters and longer growing periods.

[Karl]

I guess only if England becomes the next Arctic! Which is not likely. More likely that the EU area may see a better climate, warmer winters and longer growing periods.

No, I meant that because of its proximity to the Arctic, in the event of any major melting of the polar ice, the majority of non-mountainous areas of Europe would be submerged under water. What is now continuous part of the continent will be a series of islands. If we take the example of the Netherlands, it is already under water (i.e., lower than sea level, though obviously not submerged).

That was the intended meaning of the "refugees from the EU" reference... Europe as we know it (continuous land mass or sub-continent) would no longer exist.

[Simon]

No, I meant that because of its proximity to the Arctic, in the event of any major melting of the polar ice, the majority of non-mountainous areas of Europe would be submerged under water. What is now continuous part of the continent will be a series of islands. If we take the example of the Netherlands, it is already under water (i.e., lower than sea level, though obviously not submerged).

That was the intended meaning of the "refugees from the EU" reference... Europe as we know it (continuous land mass or sub-continent) would no longer exist.

Ah yes, rising sea levels will create lots of problems. But I do think it will for the majority of countries in Europe create domestic refugees, similar to New Orleans.

Rising sea levels and droughts is a more deadly combination than just rising sea levels. When the drought and heat comes we will see refugees within Europe. Not from the start tho as I think we will be able to sustain ourself a while thanks to our tech and money.

[mountainhiker]

Ah yes, rising sea levels will create lots of problems. But I do think it will for the majority of countries in Europe create domestic refugees, similar to New Orleans.

Rising sea levels and droughts is a more deadly combination than just rising sea levels. When the drought and heat comes we will see refugees within Europe. Not from the start tho as I think we will be able to sustain ourself a while thanks to our tech and money.

And if some of the new predictions are correct and we suffer a time of very cold weather, the EU could see refugees from the north and not the south.

[armadillo]

Not only that,but the combination of rising sea levels and droughts will cause soil erosion. Lots of fields and agriculture will be lost,not because they were covered by sea water,but because the soil cannot sustain plants anymore.

[Simon]

And if some of the new predictions are correct and we suffer a time of very cold weather, the EU could see refugees from the north and not the south.

Huh? What are you talking about?

Not only that,but the combination of rising sea levels and droughts will cause soil erosion. Lots of fields and agriculture will be lost,not because they were covered by sea water,but because the soil cannot sustain plants anymore.

Artemis brings up a very good point. The degradation of the soil plays a very important role, a role that has been discussed since the days of Karl Marx.