Climate visa sadly becomes a reality: Pacific Ocean Island Country Tuvalu fears sinking in couple of decades
New Delhi, Jun 29: In a world-first initiative, more than a third of Tuvalu’s population have applied for Australia’s newly launched climate visa, highlighting the growing desperation of residents in one of the world’s most vulnerable island nations, reports BBC and several other international media. The Pacific Engagement Visa, which opened its first intake on June 16, will grant permanent residency in Australia to just 280 Tuvaluans annually, selected through a random ballot.
According to the BBC, over 1,100 primary applications had been received by June 27, representing more than 4,000 people when family members are included. That accounts for nearly 40% of Tuvalu’s entire population, which stood at just 10,643 in the 2022 census.
The Australian government has framed the new visa as a “landmark” response to climate-related displacement. Tuvalu, an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, is the world’s second lowest-lying nation, with most of its land barely five metres above sea level. Its long-term survival is threatened by rising tides, coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion. “This is the first time a country has made a legally binding commitment to safeguard the statehood and sovereignty of a nation affected by climate change,” Tuvaluan Prime Minister Feleti Teo said last year, referring to the broader security pact signed with Canberra as reported by BBC.
The visa initiative was created under the Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union, a diplomatic agreement forged in August 2024. As part of the deal, Australia also pledged to defend Tuvalu against natural disasters, public health emergencies and even military threats. Successful applicants of the Pacific Engagement Visa will be granted indefinite residency and the right to travel freely to and from Australia. They will also receive full access to Medicare, childcare subsidies, and subsidised education at Australian schools, universities, and vocational institutions. NASA scientists have warned that by 2050, most of Tuvalu’s land and critical infrastructure could be submerged beneath the high tide line. For many in Tuvalu, the visa represents a rare opportunity not just for safety, but for continuity of identity and sovereignty in the face of a disappearing homeland.
