More than one third of the Tuvalu country has applied for ‘climate visa’ to settle in Australia as this country in the Pacific region is facing the threat of existence and is on the verge of drowning. The demand for visa has intensified after the implementation of the Falpili Union Treaty between Australia and Tulvalu, which introduces a new model for climate mobility, as people here are facing climate crisis.
Asks for help from America also
Tuvalu has a population of about 11 thousand and this island country is spread over nine low atols. Scientists have warned about Tuvalu, one of the world’s most sensitive countries for climate change, that due to the rising sea, most of its land can be submerged by 2050, as well as some islands will be lost under the waves.
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The climate crisis has already caused havoc here and polluts the sources of fresh water, due to which people are facing challenges even in everyday works. This small country of the Pacific Ocean has now sought an assurance from the US for fear of drowning that the entry of its citizens will not be stopped, as it has been accidentally put on the list of 36 countries facing visa ban. The US has already banned the entry of citizens of 12 countries.
One third of the people applied
The countries included in the restricted list will be given 60 days time to take corrective action. This has increased the concern of Tuvalu, where the population is facing a serious crisis due to the rising level of the sea. For this reason, one -third of residents have sent an application to Australia for historical climate visa.
According to a report by Reuters, Taulugao Falfou, the Ambassador to the United Nations, said that he was told by an American official that it was an administrative mistake made by the US State Department to include Tuvalu in the list. In a statement on Tuesday, the government of Tuvalu said that it has not received any formal information that his name is included in the banned list. Fiji -based American Embassy has also assured him that it was a system disturbance.
What is climate visa?
280 Tuvalu residents will be allowed to settle in Australia every year under the Falepili Union, which was implemented in the end of 2023 and the Faalpili Union, which came to Australia. This visa gives access to healthcare, education and right to work and it has been said to give equal benefit to Australian citizens.
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Job offers are not required to apply for visa and this plan is open to anyone wishing to live, work or study in Australia. Since the opening of visa lottery in June, more than 1100 applicants, including family members, have been registered, more than four thousand people have been registered, which are more than the annual limit.
Australian government will decide
The growing demand for climate visa reflects both the seriousness and economic stability of Tuvalu’s climate problem, as the money received from the migrants can become a lifeline for the families left on the island. While climate change is not clearly mentioned in the visa, the treaty that makes it accepts the danger of existence arising from global warming.
Experts appreciate this agreement as the world’s first bilateral climate dynamics agreement, which shows the path of mobility with respect with the deteriorating climate effects. After the voting is over on July 18, the Australian government will select the applicants who have been successful in getting climate visas.
The people of Tuvalu are considering the difficult decision to leave their ancestral land, climate visa has emerged as a ray of expectation, which reminds of the immediate need for global climate action.