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Madrid symposium calls for smart management of climate change migration

Xinhua, November 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

Migration caused by the effects of climate change is already a reality and a challenge the international community needs to find ways of managing, experts attending the Symposium on Climate Caused Migrations here said on Tuesday.

Eva Garcia Bouzas from the UNHCR said between 2008 and 2014, 184.4 million people (62,000 a day) fled their homes as a direct result of climate change.

Sara Vigil from the Belgian National Center for Scientific Investigation highlighted that this figure can be expected to rise to 250 million by 2050 as the planet continues to heat up.

"These are people who are invisible to international rights and have no laws to protect them," she said.

The 2015 Paris agreement saw a step towards recognizing these refugees, but for the moment there is no financial aid to help them. Isabel Aranda from the UNFCCC explained there are currently few mechanisms to deal with migration provoked by climate change.

This argument was backed by Fernando Lopez from the University of Zaragoza, who explained the 1951 Geneva Convention "has a lack of adaptation for refugees from climate change."

He said it would be more efficient to organize specialist international protection, with temporary refugee camps and clear judicial rights, especially as many refugees traditionally suffer from issues such as loss of citizenship, education, professional development, healthcare and personal dignity. Endite