Migration Jurisprudence from the South › New Zealand
Teitiota v. Chief Executive, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Supreme Court of New Zealand · New Zealand · 2015-07-20 · National court
Citation: [2015] NZSC 107
Type of case: Administrative
Outcome: Decided against the migrant side
Question
Can a man from Kiribati be protected as a refugee because rising seas threaten his home?
What the court decided
No, on these facts. He did not face serious harm amounting to persecution, but the court did not rule out that climate change could found a claim in future.
In plain language
A man from Kiribati said he could not go home because the sea was swallowing his island. The Supreme Court refused his claim but left the door open for future cases.
Dalam bahasa sederhana
Seorang pria dari Kiribati mengatakan ia tidak bisa pulang karena laut menenggelamkan pulaunya. MA menolak permohonannya tetapi membuka kemungkinan bagi perkara di masa depan.
Pertanyaan: Bisakah seorang pria dari Kiribati dilindungi sebagai pengungsi karena naiknya permukaan laut mengancam rumahnya?
What happened afterwards
- 2015-07-20: Leave to appeal refused.
- 2015-09: Deported to Kiribati.
Sources
Open this decision in the interactive collection (compare, filter, Indonesian view, downloads).
Cite as: Institute for Migrant Rights (2026), Migration Jurisprudence from the South, version 0.1, https://theimr.org/court-decisions/d/nz-teitiota-2015/. This page summarizes a court decision for research and advocacy; it is not legal advice.