"Climate migration threatens to uproot millions of people worldwide, and immigration experts see the Biden administration’s treatment of Ukrainian nationals fleeing Russian violence as a model for how to better manage future global displacement following climate disasters.
The urgency in the US immigration system’s response to Ukrainian migrants demonstrates what it’s capable of for mass climate displacement—and also serves as a cautionary tale about immigration inequity, according to Basma Alawee, campaign manager for We Are All America and a former refugee from Iraq.
“The welcoming, the treatment, and reception of Ukrainian refugees shows us, hopefully, a model for what’s possible when we see migration as a solution to conflict or to climate change,” Alawee said. “We want to use this momentum to say if it’s possible for Ukrainians, then it’s possible for Syrians and Iraqis and Iranians.”
Millions of Ukrainians have fled Russian violence, and tens of thousands have been processed with temporary status into the US in the last three months alone, amid a Biden administration push for a “fast” and “streamlined” path to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians."
Jennifer Hijazi reports for Bloomberg Environment June 6, 2022.
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