Latest news with #Tuvalu
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Half this country desperate to live in Aus
More than half of the citizens of Tuvalu have applied for a visa to permanently migrate to Australia. Just more than a month ago, Australia opened the The Falepili Mobility Pathway ballot, a program to provide citizens of the tiny island nation of Tuvalu a permanent migration pathway to Australia. The country has a population of just 10,643, while at least 5157 of them entered the lottery, more than half of the nation's people. This was through 1466 registrations, with many of the people being included as family members on applications. The ballot, which closed on Friday, randomly selected up to 280 people each year to apply for the visa. It is open to all Tuvalu citizens, regardless of age, and visa holders do not need to gain employment in Australia before applying. If the pace of applications keeps up, it could mean the entire population of Tuvalu could live in Australia within 40 years. Selections for the ballot will take place between July 25, 2025 and January 25, 2026. The scheme allows successful applicants to live, work and study anywhere in Australia indefinitely, sponsor relatives to also migrate to Australia, and apply for citizenship once eligible. The population of the island nation is one of the world's most exposed to the effects of climate change, with this program providing a path to flee as the impacts worsen. The pathway is part of the Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union that both countries signed on August 28, 2024, part of which is to build climate resilience. Also included in the union is a commitment of $38m to invest in climate adaptation measures on the island. When the ballot opened last month, Pacific Island Affairs Minister Pat Conroy called it the 'most significant agreement' between Australia and a Pacific country since Papua New Guinea's independence in 1975. 'The opening of the mobility pathway ballot is a landmark moment for Australia and Tuvalu,' Mr Conroy said. 'Alongside the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme and the Pacific Engagement Visa, the Falepili migration pathway will strengthen relationships with our Pacific neighbours. 'It demonstrates how we are working in partnership with the Pacific to ensure our region remains peaceful, stable and prosperous.' Foreign Minister Penny Wong said 'as climate impacts worsen' the program allowed Tuvaluans to live, study and work in Australia. 'The pathway reflects the deep trust between our two countries, and we look forward to the contributions Tuvaluans will make to Australian society,' Senator Wong said.
Daily Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Telegraph
More than half of Tuvalu's population applies to live in Australia
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. More than half of the citizens of Tuvalu have applied for a visa to permanently migrate to Australia. Just more than a month ago, Australia opened the The Falepili Mobility Pathway ballot, a program to provide citizens of the tiny island nation of Tuvalu a permanent migration pathway to Australia. The country has a population of just 10,643, while at least 5157 of them entered the lottery, more than half of the nation's people. This was through 1466 registrations, with many of the people being included as family members on applications. The ballot, which closed on Friday, randomly selected up to 280 people each year to apply for the visa. It is open to all Tuvalu citizens, regardless of age, and visa holders do not need to gain employment in Australia before applying. Tuvalu's population is particularly exposed to the effects of climate change. If the pace of applications keeps up, it could mean the entire population of Tuvalu could live in Australia within 40 years. Selections for the ballot will take place between July 25, 2025 and January 25, 2026. The scheme allows successful applicants to live, work and study anywhere in Australia indefinitely, sponsor relatives to also migrate to Australia, and apply for citizenship once eligible. The population of the island nation is one of the world's most exposed to the effects of climate change, with this program providing a path to flee as the impacts worsen. The visa program is part of an agreement between Australia and the Pacific nation. The pathway is part of the Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union that both countries signed on August 28, 2024, part of which is to build climate resilience. Also included in the union is a commitment of $38m to invest in climate adaptation measures on the island. Pacific Minister Pat Conroy said the ballot's opening was a 'landmark moment'. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman When the ballot opened last month, Pacific Island Affairs Minister Pat Conroy called it the 'most significant agreement' between Australia and a Pacific country since Papua New Guinea's independence in 1975. 'The opening of the mobility pathway ballot is a landmark moment for Australia and Tuvalu,' Mr Conroy said. 'Alongside the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme and the Pacific Engagement Visa, the Falepili migration pathway will strengthen relationships with our Pacific neighbours. 'It demonstrates how we are working in partnership with the Pacific to ensure our region remains peaceful, stable and prosperous.' Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the program provided a pathway 'as climate impacts worsen'. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman Foreign Minister Penny Wong said 'as climate impacts worsen' the program allowed Tuvaluans to live, study and work in Australia. 'The pathway reflects the deep trust between our two countries, and we look forward to the contributions Tuvaluans will make to Australian society,' Senator Wong said. Originally published as More than half the population of Tuvalu applies for landmark Australian visa
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
More than half the population of Tuvalu applies for landmark Australian visa
More than half of the citizens of Tuvalu have applied for a visa to permanently migrate to Australia. Just more than a month ago, Australia opened the The Falepili Mobility Pathway ballot, a program to provide citizens of the tiny island nation of Tuvalu a permanent migration pathway to Australia. The country has a population of just 10,643, while at least 5157 of them entered the lottery, more than half of the nation's people. This was through 1466 registrations, with many of the people being included as family members on applications. The ballot, which closed on Friday, randomly selected up to 280 people each year to apply for the visa. It is open to all Tuvalu citizens, regardless of age, and visa holders do not need to gain employment in Australia before applying. If the pace of applications keeps up, it could mean the entire population of Tuvalu could live in Australia within 40 years. Selections for the ballot will take place between July 25, 2025 and January 25, 2026. The scheme allows successful applicants to live, work and study anywhere in Australia indefinitely, sponsor relatives to also migrate to Australia, and apply for citizenship once eligible. The population of the island nation is one of the world's most exposed to the effects of climate change, with this program providing a path to flee as the impacts worsen. The pathway is part of the Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union that both countries signed on August 28, 2024, part of which is to build climate resilience. Also included in the union is a commitment of $38m to invest in climate adaptation measures on the island. When the ballot opened last month, Pacific Island Affairs Minister Pat Conroy called it the 'most significant agreement' between Australia and a Pacific country since Papua New Guinea's independence in 1975. 'The opening of the mobility pathway ballot is a landmark moment for Australia and Tuvalu,' Mr Conroy said. 'Alongside the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme and the Pacific Engagement Visa, the Falepili migration pathway will strengthen relationships with our Pacific neighbours. 'It demonstrates how we are working in partnership with the Pacific to ensure our region remains peaceful, stable and prosperous.' Foreign Minister Penny Wong said 'as climate impacts worsen' the program allowed Tuvaluans to live, study and work in Australia. 'The pathway reflects the deep trust between our two countries, and we look forward to the contributions Tuvaluans will make to Australian society,' Senator Wong said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tuvalu residents prepare for world's first planned migration of an entire nation — and climate change is to blame
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. More than 5,000 people have applied for a first-of-its-kind migration visa that offers residents of a Pacific island an escape from the worst effects of climate change. Applications for the visa opened to people in Tuvalu on June 16 and close today (July 18). Under its terms, 280 Tuvaluans can relocate to Australia each year from 2025 through a ballot system. Four days after the ballot opened, 3,125 Tuvaluans — roughly one-third of the nation's population of 11,000 people — had already registered for a chance to receive the visa. As of July 11, a total of 5,157 people had applied, Nikkei Asia reported. "This is the first agreement of its kind anywhere in the world, providing a pathway for mobility with dignity as climate impacts worsen," Australian government representatives told New Scientist in a statement. The representatives said that they recognized the "devastating impact climate change is having on the livelihoods, security and well-being of climate-vulnerable countries and people, particularly in the Pacific region." Tuvalu sits midway between Australia and Hawaii in the South Pacific Ocean. The country consists of nine low-lying atolls — ring-shaped islands surrounded by coral reefs. Tuvalu's highest point is 15 feet (4.5 meters) above sea level, but the country's mean elevation is just 6 feet (2 m) above sea level, making it extremely vulnerable to sea level rise, flooding and storm surges due to climate change. In 2023, sea levels around Tuvalu were 6 inches (15 centimeters) higher than they were 30 years prior, a study found. Much of the country's land and critical infrastructure will be below high-tide level by 2050, the results indicated. Related: Global sea levels rose a whopping 125 feet after the last ice age Sea level rise also threatens water supplies, as seawater can infiltrate into freshwater aquifers. This occurs because seawater is pushing farther inland, increasingly flowing into aquifers both horizontally and vertically. Residents of Tuvalu are already having to raise their crops off the ground to keep salinity at bay, Bateteba Aselu, a Tuvaluan doctoral student of climate change at the University of Melbourne in Australia, told New Scientist. The new visa scheme, officially called the Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union treaty, was signed in late 2023 and came into force in 2024. It is the world's first planned migration of an entire nation, giving residents of Tuvalu the right to live, work and study in Australia with the same access to health benefits and education as Australian citizens. Recipients of the visa also are not obliged to move, and they can return home as often as they like. "This is potentially a precedent, a global first where a migration pathway is explicitly tied to climate change and sea level rise," Wesley Morgan, a research associate at the University of New South Wales' Institute for Climate Risk and Response, told New Scientist. RELATED STORIES —Parts of San Francisco and Los Angeles are sinking into the sea — meaning sea-level rise will be even worse —32 U.S. cities, including New York and San Francisco, are sinking into the ocean and face major flood risks by 2050, new study reveals —A long-lost ice sheet could predict the future of New York City — one in which Lower Manhattan and Coney Island are 'perpetually submerged' Australia might make similar arrangements with other Pacific island nations such as Kiribati in the future, Morgan said. The outcomes of this year's ballot are expected by the end of July, and the first migrants could arrive in Australia by the end of 2025. The annual cap of 280 people aims to prevent a massive brain drain and economic difficulties in Tuvalu, Reuters reported — and it could change in the coming years if any issues arise. Combined with other emigrations from Tuvalu, the new visa means that almost 4% of the country's population could leave each year, Jane McAdam, a professor of law at the University of New South Wales in Australia wrote in The Conversation. If the numbers remain roughly the same in the long-term and people don't return home, close to 40% of Tuvalu's residents will have left in 10 years' time, she wrote. Solve the daily Crossword
SBS Australia
4 days ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Strong demand from Tuvalu for Australian residency as visa lottery closes
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . The Neemia family moved to Queensland 25 years ago. Tupa and Lailega have raised their family in Brisbane, but Lailega says Tuvalu will always feel like home. "It's too beautiful. It's a good place to retire and what you heard from my husband, it's stress free, no time for anything, very relaxed lifestyle over there." Laleiga's husband Tupa shares the same dream. "The plan was to come and work, when the kids grow up, we'd retire in Tuvalu. But yeah, hopefully it's still there when we retire." The family is concerned about the future prospect of returning to Tuvalu because the tiny Pacific nation is being swallowed by rising oceans due to climate change. Last year, Australia and Tuvalu signed the Falepili Union - a landmark climate and security pact. "This is a groundbreaking agreement." It's opened a visa pathway to Australia for people like Laliega's family. "I am very excited. I have four sisters in Tuvalu. I'm trying got get all of them over, I just feel I would love to have a sibling, a sister, closer with me here, next to me." 280 Tuvalu citizens will be granted permanent residency each year as part of the landmark pact. Just over 5,100 [[5,157]] applications have now been made - more than half of the nation's estimated population - with the lottery having closed on the 18th of July. That's half of Tuvalu's population. Some have speculated the entire population of the Pacific Island of Tuvalu could live in Australia within forty years if demand for a new visa lottery holds - but Pacific Minister Pat Conroy says unlike a lot of permanent resident visas, Tuvalans have a lot of freedom of movement back to Tuvalu. "It is a world's first approach to a relationship between two countries. We're responding to a request from the Tuvaluan goverment for migration with dignity. And so we do envision that a fair number of Tuvalans will come to Australia out of a population of around 11,000." Tuvalu says it's keen for its citizens to have a home to come back to. This year, Labor approved a 50 year extension of the North West Shelf gas project which will emit 90 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. But Tuvalu's Climate Minister Maina Vakafua Talia has been among those asking the federal government to do more to curb emissions . "Opening and subsidising and exporting fossil fuels is immoral and unacceptable." Pat Conroy says Australia remains a conscientious neighbour, mindful of climate change. The government says there are also other considerations. Sara: "How do you explain that to Pacific leaders?" Conroy: "Well I think that instance is an example of how we do diplomacy. We seek to partner not gag, which is not a claim every other country can make." That's a not so subtle reference to China, which also offers aid, infrastructure and security partnerships. Migration pathways are seen as one area where Beijing can't compete - as Ryan Edwards from the ANU Development Policy Centre says. "Australia is just a remarkably more attractive place to live. We already do have the historical ties, we've got a vibrant diaspora, a small one - but we do have that community here. It's just very different. And so it makes a lot of sense for them to use that as the avenue for strengthening realtionships and engagement." Greater labour mobility is something Pacific leaders have long called for. The government has responded with a Pacific Engagement Visa, which also offers permanent residency. "I'm really focused on making sure those first three thousand settle visa grantees have the best possible experience of coming to Australia, and then we'll just see where the numbers go but at the moment our policy is 3,000 places a year." But the transition can be difficult - as Laleiga well knows. "As long as they're aware of what it's going to be like with the help of the people already settled here. I think they're going to be okay."
