9 DECEMBER CLIMATE JUSTICE COALITION IRELAND RALLY: NOW WE RISE
“As the world leaders gather for a COP28 Summit presided over by an oil executive in the United Arab Emirates, we’re calling mobilisations for climate justice across Ireland.”
United Against Racism is affiliated to the Climate Justice Coalition Ireland and we will mobilise for this important event in Dublin. We are organising an anti-racist bloc for the rally and calling on all members and activists to join us.
We reject the far right hate and lies. We call for unity and solidarity against racism. Climate justice is inseparable from justice for migrants and refugees. We stand in unity and solidarity with climate campaigners, migrants, refugees and the diverse workers of this country.
1PM, Saturday 9 December Grand Canal Dock (Bord Gáis Theatre). March to Larkin Statue, GPO
HATE CLIMATE CHANGE, NOT THE REFUGEES
The UN refugee agency UNHCR has reevaluated its projections for climate related forced displacement. According to UNHCR, an annual average of 21.5 million people were forcibly displaced each year by weather-related events – such as floods, storms, wildfires, and extreme temperatures – since 2008. This climate migration is expected to surge in coming decades with forecasts from international thinktank the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) predicting that 1.2 billion people could be displaced globally by 2050 due to climate change and natural disasters.
Climate change is rapidly becoming the top reason for forced displacement of people.
In 2000 there were 12 million refugees and 5.9 million internally displaced people (IDP) globally. By 2010, while the number of externally displaced refugees stood static, the number of IDP’s had risen to 14 million. By 2020, there were 20 million refugees and nearly 50 million IDP’s.
People are forced to flee from wars, persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations, and climate related disasters.
There are nearly 7 million Palestinian refugees around the world.
Today the global forced displacement has reached more than 110 million.
- 62.5 million IDP’s.
- 36.4 million refugees.
- 6.1 million asylum seekers.
- 5.3 million people in need of international protection.
- 75% hosted in low- and middle-income countries.
- 70% of refugees and people in need of international protection live in neighbouring countries.
- 51% of all displaced people are women and girls.
- 41% of all displaced are children below the age of 18.
BORDER BARBARISM and FAR RIGHT LIES
The number of recorded deaths of refugees in the Mediterranean Sea from 2014 to 2023 has reached more than 30,000. We saw a systematic policy of EU border barbarism. The European and world leaders attending COP28 have done nothing to eliminate the reasons that displace people. Instead, they have implemented “fortress Europe” border policies. At the core of these policies is a systematic mainstream racism.
During the same period, we also saw the rise of the far right and racism that used the refugee crisis as an excuse to mobilise and target some of the most vulnerable people. On 23 November we saw the shocking riots in Dublin organised by far right elements. The slogan ‘Get them Out’ was an attack on all migrants in this country.
A recent publication by the EU Parliament clearly outlines the direction of the member states are taking. Some of the headlines in this report:
- Countering irregular migration: Better EU border management
- The influx of migrants and the security of external borders is a challenge for Europe.
- Strengthening the EU’s external border management and security.
- Establishing a European Border and Coast Guard Agency.
- Returning irregular migrants more efficiently.
JOIN US: NO TO RACISM. STOP CLIMATE CHANGE, NOT THE REFUGEES.
With the worsening climate change and more forcibly displaced people, these measures are not designed to address the problems but abandon refugees to their deadly faith at the borders. Furthermore, the 1951 Geneva Convention and subsequent legislations don’t provide a legal definition for people who leave their country because of the direct consequences (land impoverishment, natural disasters) or indirect consequences (wars over resources) of climate change. This leaves millions of people vulnerable to climate change and related disasters.
Enforced borders may stop fleeing refugees but climate change carries no passport and knows no borders. If the world leaders are serious about climate change, they must stop the repeated failures of COPs and national policies and start tackling the real problems instead of letting refugees die.
We reject the far right hate and lies. We call for unity and solidarity against racism. Climate justice is inseparable from justice for migrants and refugees. We stand in unity and solidarity with climate campaigners, migrants, refugees and the diverse workers of this country.
Join us on 9 December and march together for justice!
