The effects of policies and social factors on climate refugees rights’

Abstract

Certain social factors such as citizenship, inequality (ability for rights), socioeconomic factors and covid-19 have effects on climate refugees’ rights. I will be focusing on two cases from Puerto Rico and the Florida/Caribbean as a comparative study. My analysis will encompass if there are any major differences between them regarding policies, rights, in the recovery process. I have chosen to focus on these two because of how the climate disasters were handled and shaped inequalities across contexts. The sites, through events, show how the way refugee rights are implemented differently across the contexts and the events that interact with inequality. My research strategy is qualitative research and data collection includes collecting secondary data by gathering media and journal articles, conducting semi-structured interviews, national frameworks and policies. From the interviews that have been conducted, I analyzed the interviews by identifying particular themes. My results expressed that Hurricane Maria had more inequalities within each subgroup of elderly, children/young adults, gender, etc. than hurricane Irma. The frameworks are not exclusive for these subgroups and there needs to be more inclusive policies for future generations.