Australia to accept 5,000 Tuvalu residents fleeing climate change

Tuvalu residents are massively seeking Australian visas. The number of applicants has already exceeded 5,000 people, so the Australian government has stopped accepting applications for 2026. This was reported by the Japanese TV channel NHK, according to UNN.

Details

It is noted that due to rising ocean levels, residents of the island nation of Tuvalu, located in the South Pacific, are massively planning to move to Australia. In this regard, about 5,000 Tuvaluan citizens have already applied for Australian visas.

According to NHK, the possibility of emigration appeared after the signing of an intergovernmental agreement between Australia and Tuvalu on security and migration cooperation in 2023. This document provides for a quota of 280 people annually, who will be randomly selected through a lottery among those wishing to relocate.

The Australian government said it had received more than 5,000 applications, which is about half of Tuvalu's population.

Those selected in the lottery will receive the right to reside in Australia with a status that allows them to legally work, study, and use the healthcare system. The final list of new Australian residents will be formed by January 2026.

According to NHK, most of Tuvalu's territory consists of five low-lying atolls and four islands that rise less than two meters above sea level. Due to climate change, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels, the UN predicts that by 2100, 95% of Tuvalu's territory, including the capital, could be submerged.

Australia is strengthening ties with Tuvalu due to China's expanding influence in the Pacific region. Tuvalu is one of the few countries that still recognize Taiwan. Under the agreement with Australia, Tuvalu is obliged to consult with Canberra before signing security agreements with other countries.

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