The Climate Exodus
A small island nation is submerged by rising seas. Its entire population demands refugee status. No country's laws recognize "climate refugees."
The Republic of Kiribati is officially declared uninhabitable after successive king tides and saltwater intrusion destroy its freshwater supply. Its entire population of 120,000 — holding valid passports of a sovereign nation that functionally no longer exists — boards a chartered fleet toward Australia and New Zealand.
You are the President of the UN General Assembly
The Situation Room
>Australia refuses to accept them as refugees, arguing that the 1951 Refugee Convention only covers persecution, not environmental displacement.
>New Zealand offers temporary visas for 5,000 but will not accept the full population.
>Kiribati's president, broadcasting from a ship, asks the UN: "If our nation ceases to exist, do our people cease to have rights?"
Internal Briefing Notes
• The 1951 Refugee Convention defines refugees as people fleeing persecution — climate displacement is not covered.
• International law has no framework for "stateless by geography" — a nation whose territory becomes uninhabitable.
• Kiribati's Exclusive Economic Zone covers 3.4 million square kilometers of Pacific Ocean, including vast fisheries and potential seabed minerals.
Escalation Window
Reveal each phase to see how the situation deteriorates.
A nation has drowned. Its people are at sea. International law has no answer. What do you propose to the General Assembly?
Choose your response. There are no good options.
Draft a binding convention recognizing climate displacement. It could take years to ratify, and major nations will refuse to sign anything that creates an obligation to accept millions.
Assign proportional quotas to all UN member states. Fair in theory, but most nations will reject mandatory resettlement quotas.
Let Kiribati maintain its sovereignty, UN seat, and EEZ rights from exile. A creative solution, but 120,000 people still need somewhere to physically live.
Related Entities
Explore the institutions, countries, and actors involved in this scenario.
Australia
Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy in Oceania. Westminster-style system with compulsory voting and strong states.
New Zealand
island country in the southwest Pacific Ocean
United States
Federal presidential constitutional republic in North America. Power is divided across the presidency, Congress, the states, and the federal courts. National politics is dominated by the Democratic and Republican parties, but third parties and independents still shape the broader system.
India
Federal parliamentary democratic republic. World's most populous country with a multi-party parliamentary system.