Most Tuvaluans Wants To Flee Island Amid Climate Change

Last month, 8,750 applications were submitted by Tuvaluans for permanent Australian residency, as part of a Tuvalu-Aussie program. Under the initiative, 280 Tuvaluans would be given permanent Australian residency, under Falepili visa, inked in 2023, as a response to the existential threat of climate change and rising sea levels to the island nation. But the numbers submitted in July were overwhelming, comprising 80 percent of Tuvalu’s population, which is just over 11,000. Migrants, who get the green light, are expected to arrive in Australia by the end of 2025, reported news sites.

The Pacific Islands are at the forefront of facing the threats of climate change. Tuna fishing and processing activities form the backbone of the economies of these islands. The Tuvalu government has already begun measures to move out its citizens, and the issuance of Falepili visa is one among them. It is unclear at the moment how Tuvalu will manage its tuna fisheries if most of its citizens shifts to Australia, and by when the relocation of the entire population will happen.