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The Climate Litigation Database

BM (Tuvalu) v Chief Executive of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

Geography
Year
2023
Document Type
Litigation

About this case

Filing year
2023
Status
Decided
Court/admin entity
New Zealand → Immigration and Protection Tribunal
Case category
Suits against governments → Human Rights → Climate migration
Principal law
New Zealand → Immigration Act 1987New Zealand → Immigration Act 2009
At issue
Whether there are exceptional circumstances of a humanitarian nature, partly stemming from climate chagne, against liability for deportation.
Topics
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Documents

Filing Date
Document
Type
Topics 
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Summary

This was a humanitarian appeal by a married couple from Tuvalu, along with four of their five children, against their deportation liability. The primary issue on appeal is whether there are exceptional humanitarian circumstances in this family's case, given that the husband and wife cannot return to their home islands, that they have resigned from their jobs and are unlikely to regain employment in Funafuti, and that a return there will negatively affect the children's best interests. Tribunal member Clayton, on July 15, 2024, allowed the appeal, ordering to grant resident visas to appellants and their children. The Tribunal canvassed the psychological harm arising from long-term exposure to slow-onset hazards such as climate change and a 2020 study on the mental health impacts of climate change on Tuvaluans.

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Group
Topics
Policy instrument
Risk
Impacted group
Just transition
Economic sector
Adaptation/resilience