Latest news with #FalepiliMobilityPathway
Euronews
6 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Over a third of Tuvaluans seek pioneering climate visa to Australia
More than a third of people from the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu are seeking to move to Australia through an unprecedented climate visa scheme that opened last week. Signed by the two countries in 2023, the Falepili Union provides a pathway for Tuvaluans to live, work and study in their larger neighbour, as sea-level rise threatens to engulf their home. A ballot for visas that opened on 16 June has already seen 1,124 primary registrations as of this morning (27 June), according to Australia's Department of Home Affairs. That rises to a total of 4,052 people when family members of the primary applicant are included. That's well above the 280 limit Australia is offering each year, and represents a sizeable proportion of Tuvalu's roughly 11,000-strong population. 'It is not surprising that the response is so high,' says James Ellmoor, CEO of Island Innovation, a consultancy focused on sustainable development for small island states. 'I think it is worth noting that there is a limited set of visas available every year, which will limit a major migration event.' The high number of applicants is likely pushed by two factors: the economy and climate change, he adds. Why are people looking to leave Tuvalu? A tiny constellation between Australia and Hawaii in the South Pacific, Tuvalu comprises nine palm-fringed reef islands and coral atolls. Two of its coral atolls have already almost disappeared beneath the waves, as human-caused climate change melts frozen parts of the world and heats the ocean, causing it to expand and rise. "In Tuvalu, the bond between people, land, and culture is unbreakable. For its people, home is not just where they live - it is who they are. Leaving is not what they want,' says Kamal Amakrane, managing director of the Global Centre for Climate Mobility (GCCM). 'Yet climate change is rewriting the future.' Much of Tuvalu's land area could fall beneath high tide by 2050, a NASA report from 2023 predicts. And it's not just sea-level rise that threatens this beautiful nation; climate change is also increasing the frequency and severity of storms, bleaching the corals on which its fisheries depend, and pushing saltwater into freshwater sources. 'From a climate standpoint, the Falepili Mobility Pathway represents a failure in international climate efforts. We are actively failing Tuvalu, we are actively failing island communities,' says Ellmoor. 'The Pathway, while an impressive show of bilateral policymaking and international solidarity, is a deeply saddening reality. We are talking about an entire sovereign nation and its citizens at risk of losing their physical communities and cultural heritage, through no fault of their own.' A groundbreaking climate mobility pact In Tuvaluan, 'Falepili' refers to close neighbours. When the pact was announced in November 2023, Australia was praised for the respectful terms of its neighbourliness. 'Response must be anchored in foresight and respect, ensuring that climate mobility is rooted in safety, dignity, and human rights,' says Amakrane. 'The Tuvalu–Australia Falepili Union Treaty offers a hopeful model - a promise of partnership, grounded in trust and shared responsibility.' While providing a 'special human mobility pathway', the deal recognises 'the desire of Tuvalu's people to continue to live in their territory where possible and Tuvalu's deep, ancestral connections to land and sea.' It enjoins Australia to help protect Tuvaluans' right to stay, and to support them to adapt to climate change, noting that tech opportunities are progressing. 'I like to think of it as a bridge, to connect the opportunities that we Tuvaluans aren't able to get,' Kalita 'Titi' Homasi, a Tuvaluan youth representative at COP27 told us. 'Australia is a bridge and even if people choose to go, I feel like they will always have the need to return.' Another part of the pact, which came into force last August, obliges Tuvalu to mutually agree with Australia on any involvement with another state on security and defence matters - widely seen as a measure to block China's influence in the region. What does it mean for Tuvalu? After the inaugural ballot closes on 18 July, a random selection process will take place between 25 July and 25 January, Australia's Home Affairs office explains. Ballot registrants who are selected to apply for the 'Pacific Engagement (subclass 192) – Treaty stream' visa will then be eligible to make an application. As well as being able to live, study and work in Australia, successful applicants will have access to Australian education, health, and key income and family support on arrival. Tuvalu has the world's smallest economy - with its GDP sitting at $63 million (€58mn) in 2023 according to the World Bank - largely founded on fisheries and international grants. Youth unemployment is high, Ellmoor notes, with few opportunities for job creation, and currently many sectors are threatened by the climate crisis. 'The Falepili Mobility Pathway provides an opportunity for Tuvaluans to work and reinvest back into the country through remittances. In Pacific nations, remittances can represent 15-40 per cent of GDP - for Tuvalu's economy, even modest increases become transformational,' he says. Paired with ambitious climate adaptation policies, the remittances could pave the way for a more sustainable economic future. But the existential challenge to Tuvalu and other low-lying island nations remains. 'With COP30 just around the corner, this needs to be a wake-up call for governments,' says Ellmoor. 'What do we have to show for three decades of negotiations? 'The first example of internationally-sanctioned climate migration from a small island developing state to a larger regional power which has built its economy on extractive activities, a country which shows little signs of ambition or interest in ensuring this does not continue to happen despite bidding to host COP31 which it intends to label as the 'Pacific COP'.'
CNN
6 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
More than a third of this country's population has applied to relocate
More than a third of the population of Tuvalu has applied to move to Australia, under a landmark visa scheme designed to help people escape rising sea levels. The island nation – roughly halfway between Hawaii and Australia – is home to about 10,000 people, according to the latest government statistics, living across a clutch of tiny islets and atolls in the South Pacific. With no part of its territory above six meters, it is one of the most at-risk places in the world to rising seas caused by climate change. On June 16, Australia opened a roughly one-month application window for what it says is a one-of-a-kind visa offering necessitated by climate change. Under the new scheme, Australia will accept 280 visa winners from a random ballot between July and January 2026. The Tuvaluans will get permanent residency on arrival in Australia, with the right to work and access public healthcare and education. More than 4,000 people have applied under the scheme, according to official figures seen by CNN. 'The opening of the Falepili Mobility Pathway delivers on our shared vision for mobility with dignity, by providing Tuvaluans the opportunity to live, study and work in Australia as climate impacts worsen,' Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement. CNN has reached out to the Tuvalu government. According to Tuvalu's Prime Minister Feleti Teo, more than half of Tuvalu will be regularly inundated by tidal surges by 2050. By 2100, 90% of his nation will be regularly under water, he says. Fongafale, the nation's capital, is the largest and most populated islet in Tuvalu's main atoll, Funafuti. It has a runway-like strip of land just 65 feet (20 meters) wide in some places. 'You can put yourself in my situation, as the prime minister of Tuvalu, contemplating development, contemplating services for the basic needs of our people, and at the same time being presented with a very confronting and disturbing forecast,' Teo told the United Nations Oceans Conference this month in Nice, France. 'Internal relocation in Tuvalu is not an option, we are totally flat,' the prime minister said on June 12. 'There is no option to move inland or move to higher ground, because there is no higher ground.' The visa scheme is part of a broader pact signed between Australia and Tuvalu in 2023, which binds Australia to defending Tuvalu both militarily and against rising seas. Tuvalu, which claims 900,000 square kilometers of the South Pacific, is considered by Canberra as a crucial player in its ongoing struggle with China for regional influence. Recognition is something Australia has said it will guarantee for Tuvalu, even if nobody can live there in the future. 'The statehood and sovereignty of Tuvalu will continue, and the rights and duties inherent thereto will be maintained, notwithstanding the impact of climate change-related sea-level rise,' their treaty reads. In 2022, at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, Tuvalu announced that it sought to become the first nation in the world to move entirely online. The government has since developed a plan to 'digitally recreate its land, archive its rich history and culture and move all government functions into a digital space.' Australia now recognizes Tuvalu's 'digital sovereignty,' which the country hopes will allow it to 'retain its identity and continue to function as a state, even after its physical land is gone.' Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said last year his country shared a vision for a 'peaceful, stable, prosperous and unified region.' 'It shows our Pacific partners that they can rely on Australia as a trusted and genuine partner.' Australia's support for the Pacific island nation has stood in stark contrast in recent months to US President Donald Trump's administration, which has imposed sweeping crackdowns on climate policies and immigration. Tuvalu is among a group of 36 countries that the Trump administration is looking to add to the current travel ban list, according to the Associated Press. The ban fully restricts entry of nationals from 12 countries: Afghanistan; Myanmar, also known as Burma; Chad; Republic of the Congo; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Haiti; Iran; Libya; Somalia; Sudan; and Yemen. People from seven countries also face partial restrictions: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. The 36 countries, including Tuvalu's Pacific neighbors Tonga and Vanuatu, had been told to commit to improving vetting of travelers and take steps to address the status of their nationals who are in the United States illegally or face similar restrictions, the AP reported, citing a diplomatic cable sent by the State Department.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
More than a third of this country's population has applied to relocate
More than a third of the population of Tuvalu has applied to move to Australia, under a landmark visa scheme designed to help people escape rising sea levels. The island nation – roughly halfway between Hawaii and Australia – is home to about 10,000 people, according to the latest government statistics, living across a clutch of tiny islets and atolls in the South Pacific. With no part of its territory above six meters, it is one of the most at-risk places in the world to rising seas caused by climate change. On June 16, Australia opened a roughly one-month application window for what it says is a one-of-a-kind visa offering necessitated by climate change. Under the new scheme, Australia will accept 280 visa winners from a random ballot between July and January 2026. The Tuvaluans will get permanent residency on arrival in Australia, with the right to work and access public healthcare and education. More than 4,000 people have applied under the scheme, according to official figures seen by CNN. 'The opening of the Falepili Mobility Pathway delivers on our shared vision for mobility with dignity, by providing Tuvaluans the opportunity to live, study and work in Australia as climate impacts worsen,' Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement. CNN has reached out to the Tuvalu government. According to Tuvalu's Prime Minister Feleti Teo, more than half of Tuvalu will be regularly inundated by tidal surges by 2050. By 2100, 90% of his nation will be regularly under water, he says. Fongafale, the nation's capital, is the largest and most populated islet in Tuvalu's main atoll, Funafuti. It has a runway-like strip of land just 65 feet (20 meters) wide in some places. 'You can put yourself in my situation, as the prime minister of Tuvalu, contemplating development, contemplating services for the basic needs of our people, and at the same time being presented with a very confronting and disturbing forecast,' Teo told the United Nations Oceans Conference this month in Nice, France. 'Internal relocation in Tuvalu is not an option, we are totally flat,' the prime minister said on June 12. 'There is no option to move inland or move to higher ground, because there is no higher ground.' The visa scheme is part of a broader pact signed between Australia and Tuvalu in 2023, which binds Australia to defending Tuvalu both militarily and against rising seas. Tuvalu, which claims 900,000 square kilometers of the South Pacific, is considered by Canberra as a crucial player in its ongoing struggle with China for regional influence. Recognition is something Australia has said it will guarantee for Tuvalu, even if nobody can live there in the future. 'The statehood and sovereignty of Tuvalu will continue, and the rights and duties inherent thereto will be maintained, notwithstanding the impact of climate change-related sea-level rise,' their treaty reads. In 2022, at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, Tuvalu announced that it sought to become the first nation in the world to move entirely online. The government has since developed a plan to 'digitally recreate its land, archive its rich history and culture and move all government functions into a digital space.' Australia now recognizes Tuvalu's 'digital sovereignty,' which the country hopes will allow it to 'retain its identity and continue to function as a state, even after its physical land is gone.' Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said last year his country shared a vision for a 'peaceful, stable, prosperous and unified region.' 'It shows our Pacific partners that they can rely on Australia as a trusted and genuine partner.' Australia's support for the Pacific island nation has stood in stark contrast in recent months to US President Donald Trump's administration, which has imposed sweeping crackdowns on climate policies and immigration. Tuvalu is among a group of 36 countries that the Trump administration is looking to add to the current travel ban list, according to the Associated Press. The ban fully restricts entry of nationals from 12 countries: Afghanistan; Myanmar, also known as Burma; Chad; Republic of the Congo; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Haiti; Iran; Libya; Somalia; Sudan; and Yemen. People from seven countries also face partial restrictions: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. The 36 countries, including Tuvalu's Pacific neighbors Tonga and Vanuatu, had been told to commit to improving vetting of travelers and take steps to address the status of their nationals who are in the United States illegally or face similar restrictions, the AP reported, citing a diplomatic cable sent by the State Department.
CNN
6 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
More than a third of this country's population has applied to relocate
More than a third of the population of Tuvalu has applied to move to Australia, under a landmark visa scheme designed to help people escape rising sea levels. The island nation – roughly halfway between Hawaii and Australia – is home to about 10,000 people, according to the latest government statistics, living across a clutch of tiny islets and atolls in the South Pacific. With no part of its territory above six meters, it is one of the most at-risk places in the world to rising seas caused by climate change. On June 16, Australia opened a roughly one-month application window for what it says is a one-of-a-kind visa offering necessitated by climate change. Under the new scheme, Australia will accept 280 visa winners from a random ballot between July and January 2026. The Tuvaluans will get permanent residency on arrival in Australia, with the right to work and access public healthcare and education. More than 4,000 people have applied under the scheme, according to official figures seen by CNN. 'The opening of the Falepili Mobility Pathway delivers on our shared vision for mobility with dignity, by providing Tuvaluans the opportunity to live, study and work in Australia as climate impacts worsen,' Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement. CNN has reached out to the Tuvalu government. According to Tuvalu's Prime Minister Feleti Teo, more than half of Tuvalu will be regularly inundated by tidal surges by 2050. By 2100, 90% of his nation will be regularly under water, he says. Fongafale, the nation's capital, is the largest and most populated islet in Tuvalu's main atoll, Funafuti. It has a runway-like strip of land just 65 feet (20 meters) wide in some places. 'You can put yourself in my situation, as the prime minister of Tuvalu, contemplating development, contemplating services for the basic needs of our people, and at the same time being presented with a very confronting and disturbing forecast,' Teo told the United Nations Oceans Conference this month in Nice, France. 'Internal relocation in Tuvalu is not an option, we are totally flat,' the prime minister said on June 12. 'There is no option to move inland or move to higher ground, because there is no higher ground.' The visa scheme is part of a broader pact signed between Australia and Tuvalu in 2023, which binds Australia to defending Tuvalu both militarily and against rising seas. Tuvalu, which claims 900,000 square kilometers of the South Pacific, is considered by Canberra as a crucial player in its ongoing struggle with China for regional influence. Recognition is something Australia has said it will guarantee for Tuvalu, even if nobody can live there in the future. 'The statehood and sovereignty of Tuvalu will continue, and the rights and duties inherent thereto will be maintained, notwithstanding the impact of climate change-related sea-level rise,' their treaty reads. In 2022, at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, Tuvalu announced that it sought to become the first nation in the world to move entirely online. The government has since developed a plan to 'digitally recreate its land, archive its rich history and culture and move all government functions into a digital space.' Australia now recognizes Tuvalu's 'digital sovereignty,' which the country hopes will allow it to 'retain its identity and continue to function as a state, even after its physical land is gone.' Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said last year his country shared a vision for a 'peaceful, stable, prosperous and unified region.' 'It shows our Pacific partners that they can rely on Australia as a trusted and genuine partner.' Australia's support for the Pacific island nation has stood in stark contrast in recent months to US President Donald Trump's administration, which has imposed sweeping crackdowns on climate policies and immigration. Tuvalu is among a group of 36 countries that the Trump administration is looking to add to the current travel ban list, according to the Associated Press. The ban fully restricts entry of nationals from 12 countries: Afghanistan; Myanmar, also known as Burma; Chad; Republic of the Congo; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Haiti; Iran; Libya; Somalia; Sudan; and Yemen. People from seven countries also face partial restrictions: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. The 36 countries, including Tuvalu's Pacific neighbors Tonga and Vanuatu, had been told to commit to improving vetting of travelers and take steps to address the status of their nationals who are in the United States illegally or face similar restrictions, the AP reported, citing a diplomatic cable sent by the State Department.
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
One in three Tuvaluans apply to relocate to Australia under climate visa scheme just 10 days after opening
Nearly a third of the population of Pacific island nation Tuvalu has applied for a new visa scheme that would allow them to relocate to Australia. Australia is offering 280 visas annually to Tuvaluan citizens under the Falepili Union treaty — a landmark agreement billed as the world's first climate migration deal. Citizens of the climate change-threatened Polynesian nation are being encouraged to apply as rising seas threaten to engulf the tiny Pacific nation. Applications cost $25 and will close on July 18, with successful applicants selected at random rather than based on skills or other criteria. Ballot winners will be afforded rights to work or study as permanent residents, with access to benefits like Medicare. Since the ballot opened on June 16, 3125 Tuvaluans have registered for the first intake, according to official figures obtained by AFP — nearly a third of the entire population. Tuvalu is a clutch of reef islands and atolls roughly halfway between Brisbane and Hawaii and home to just over 10,000 people. It is the world's most at-risk nation to sea level rise, with a highest point of under five metres. Fears of being subsided by sea prompted the discussion of the immigration pathway between Australia and Tuvalu. 'The opening of the Falepili Mobility Pathway marks a significant moment for our elevated partnership and demonstrates Australia's ongoing commitment to the government and people of Tuvalu,' Australian High Commissioner to Tuvalu David Charlton said. Given the small population, it is possible that all citizens could use the pathway to relocate in Australia by mid-century, however Prime Minister Feleti Teo said he believed most would stay, and others would return. 'The Falepili Mobility Pathway is not just a one-way traffic,' he said. 'Tuvalu stands to benefit greatly from those that return to Tuvalu after exposure to work, study and life in Australia.' Announced in late 2023, the Falepili Union is a multi-faceted pact with the climate change-threatened Polynesian nation which positions Australia as Tuvalu's primary security partner. In exchange, Australia has promised Tuvalu assistance in response to disasters, development assistance, and the migration pathway. The treaty - named after a Tuvaluan word meaning good neighbour - has been criticised as neo-colonialist, given Australia's influence over Tuvalu's sovereignty and absorption of citizens.
