Nearly 9,000 citizens of the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu have reportedly applied for a new climate visa to Australia, according to official figures released recently. This number represents 82% of Tuvalu’s population, highlighting the significant threat rising sea levels pose to the nation.As reported by news agency AFP, Australia’s high commission in Tuvalu stated that 8,750 people, including family members, registered for the new visa program. This initiative, part of the Falepili Union pact signed in 2024, is considered the first of its kind in the world. It aims to provide Tuvaluans with a “pathway for mobility with dignity as climate impacts worsen,” as described by Australia’s foreign affairs department.Australia and Tuvalu signed the groundbreaking Falepili Union in 2024, part of Canberra’s efforts to blunt China’s expanding reach in the region. Under the agreement, Australia opened a new visa category specially set aside for citizens of Tuvalu who will be selected at random. “Australia recognises the devastating impact climate change is having on the livelihoods, security, and wellbeing of climate vulnerable countries and people, particularly in the Pacific region,” Australia’s foreign affairs department told AFP last month.
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One of its kind ‘Climate Fight’
Scientists predict that Tuvalu, one of the most climate-vulnerable places on Earth, could become uninhabitable within the next 80 years. Two of its nine coral atolls have already been largely submerged by rising tides.The announcement of the visa figures comes on the same day as a landmark decision from the world’s top court in The Hague. The case, brought by Pacific nations, seeks to establish the legal obligations of countries to prevent climate change and hold polluters accountable for the consequences. This ruling could have a major impact on climate justice efforts globally.
What ‘citizenship deal’ has for Australia
The Falepili Union also provides a broader security framework. It legally commits Australia to defend Tuvalu in the event of natural disasters, health pandemics, or “military aggression.” As per AFP report, Tuvalu’s Prime Minister, Feleti Teo, hailed the pact as a historic commitment, noting that it’s the first time a country has legally agreed to “recognize the future statehood and sovereignty of Tuvalu despite the detrimental impact of climate-change-induced sea level rise.”However, the agreement also gives Australia a say in any defense pacts Tuvalu signs with other countries. Tuvalu is one of just 12 states that still have formal diplomatic relations with Taipei rather than Beijing.
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