The country of which over one third of the population tries to move. Territory is in danger of being swallowed by water

More than a third of the population of a state in Polynesia has filed a request to move to Australia, through a visa program considered historical, designed to help people escape the effects of increasing sea level.

Over a third of the state population Tuvalu wants to relocate photo shutterstock

Tuvalu, a nation-insular located approximately halfway between Hawaii and Australia, has a population of about 10,000 inhabitants, according to the latest government statistics, spread on a series of in islands and atols in the South Pacific.

With no point in the territory more than six meters above sea level, Tuvalu is one of the most exposed places in the world to increase the sea level caused by climate change.

On June 16, Australia opened a period of about one month for visa applications, in a program considered unique in the world and justified by climate change. Within this new system, Australia will select 280 winners of views by drawing lots, who will be able to emigrate between July and January 2026. Tuvalens will receive permanent residence in Australia, having the right to work and benefit from public medical and education services.

Over 4,000 people applied in this program, according to the official figures consulted by CNN.

Territory could be swallowed by water

“The launch of the Falepili mobility path materializes our common vision for a mobility with dignity, giving them the opportunity to live, study and work in Australia as the climatic impact is aggravated.”said Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

According to the prime minister of the state of Tuvalu, Felleti Teo, over half of the territory of the country will be regularly flooded by tide by 2050. By 2100, he estimates that 90% of the nation will be constantly underwater.

Fongafaale, the capital of Tuvalului, is the largest and most populated island in the main atol, Funafuti. In some places, it has a width of only 20 meters, like a landing track.

“You can imagine in my place, as a prime minister of the Tuval, trying to plan the development and provide basic services for people, while you are confronted with such a disturbing and restless scenario.”said Teo at the UN Conference for Oceans, held this month in Nice, France.

“Internal relocation in Tuvalu is not an option”the prime minister added on June 12. “There is no option to go inward or to heights, because we have no heights.”

Visa program with Australia

The visa program is part of a wider pact signed between Australia and Tuvalu in 2023, by which Australia undertakes to defend Tuvalu both military and in the face of climate change.

Tuvalu, who claims an area of ​​900,000 square kilometers in the South Pacific, is considered by Canberra an essential actor in his competition with China for influence in the region.

Australia has promised that she would continue to recognize the statality of the Tuval, even if her territory became uninhabitable. “The state's state and sovereignty will continue, and the related rights and responsibilities will be maintained, regardless of the impact of the sea level caused by the climate change.”is shown in the treaty signed between the two countries.

In 2022, at Cop27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, Tuvalu announced that he wants to become the first nation in the world to move completely to the digital environment. Since then the government has developed a plan to “The digital recreation of the territory of the country, the archive of the rich history and culture and transfer all the government functions into a digital space.”

Australia now recognizes “Digital sovereignty” of the Tuval, which gives the hope that the nation will be able to maintain its identity and can function as a state even after the physical disappearance of the territory.

Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, said last year that his country is sharing a vision for a region “Peaceful, stable, prosper and united.”

“This shows our partners in the Pacific that they can trust Australia as a sincere and reliable partner.”

Tensions with Trump Administration

The support given by Australia to Tuvalu State contrasts, in recent months, with the policy of the administration of former US President Donald Trump, which has imposed drastic restrictions on climate policies and immigration.

Tuvalu is among the 36 countries that the Trump administration considered to be added to the list of travel prohibitions, according to the Associated Press agency.

The existing prohibition completely blocks the access of citizens from 12 countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar (Burma), Ciad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The citizens of seven other countries are subject to partial restrictions: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

The 36 countries, including the neighbors of the Pacific Tuval – Tonga and Vanatu – were notified to improve the passenger verification procedures and take measures regarding the status of their citizens illegally in the US, otherwise to face similar restrictions, according to a diplomatic document quoted by the AP.