Cruise Nation as a Refugee Solution

For climate change refugees, such as those suffering in the Carribean, or for the legions of refugees fleeing the dozens of wars around the world, create a Cruise Nation by assembling an armada of decommissioned cruise ships, that stays in International waters at all times.

Each one is a floating village. Desalination plants. Solar power. Kitchens. Medical Clinics. Barbershops. School rooms. Also room to grow hydroponic vegetables and keep small livestock for fresh and abundant food. Fresh (green) feed can be tray-grown to provide fodder for goats, chickens, etc.  Strive to make each ship a self-sustaining environment.

Staff with citizens from American working-class neighborhoods and projects, and most especially out of the homeless community.  Sure, the ultra-poor need the jobs but even more, Cruise Nation needs astute observers of human nature in order to sort out who is a hostile force mixed in with the innocent refugees.  Payscale (for American staff) would be similar to those on oil rigs.

To contribute towards the running costs, as well as producing paying jobs for the Cruise Nation residents, set up the ships as mini-factories with 3D printers, textile machinery, etc. Offer the international business community an opportunity (and tax incentives) to utilize the workforce on board.  Instead of sitting in a dusty refugee camp doing nothing but worry all day, now you have the people productive and occupied, earning/saving money while waiting to go back to their country or to be allowed into a new one.  Payscale (for refugees) would be based on the countries from which they came, but paid in hard currencies.

Segregate by language and religion. Sure one must confront general bigotry, but the American staff must be thoroughly trained to understand and respect the divisions that everyone who arrives at Cruise Nation already has. There is no such thing as a homogenized culture.  However, do encourage a program that would allow people to migrate between ships, should the refugee (who immediately are called residents and handed an I.D. card stating such) find she wishes to leave the original ship that she has been assigned to.

Mental health care is a high priority and we would offer school loan forgiveness for any of those professionals who would like to do missions on Cruise Nation.

Example of the cruises ships already being used for humanitarian uses here.