Sydney: The first climate migrants from the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu have arrived in Australia, aiming to safeguard their livelihoods and maintain ties to their rapidly disappearing homeland, Australian officials said Thursday.
More than one-third of Tuvalu’s 11,000 residents applied for the new climate visa program, established under an agreement between the two countries two years ago. The annual intake is limited to 280 people to prevent brain drain from the small island nation.
Among the initial arrivals are Tuvalu’s first female forklift driver, a dentist, and a trainee pastor dedicated to supporting the spiritual life of their community far from home, officials said.
Tuvalu, a low-lying group of atolls in the Pacific between Australia and Hawaii, faces one of the world’s highest risks from rising sea levels. On its main atoll, Funafuti, land is barely wider than the road in some stretches, and children often play football on the airport runway.
By 2050, NASA projections indicate that daily tides could submerge half of Funafuti, home to 60 percent of the nation’s population. In the worst-case scenario, 90 percent of the main atoll could be underwater.
Manipua Puafolau, a trainee pastor from Funafuti, arrived in Australia two weeks ago and will settle in the South Australian town of Naracoorte, where several hundred Pacific Islanders work in seasonal agriculture and meat processing. He said migration is not only about physical safety and economic opportunity but also about preserving spiritual guidance for the community.
Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo recently visited the Tuvaluan diaspora in Melbourne to reinforce the importance of cultural ties and community connections as citizens move abroad.
Australia has established support services to help families settle in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Queensland. Kitai Haulapi, the first female forklift driver in Tuvalu, will relocate to Melbourne after recently marrying and hopes to work while continuing to support her family back home. Dentist Masina Matolu, who has three children and a seafarer husband, will move to Darwin and plans to collaborate with indigenous communities there.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the visa program offers ‘mobility with dignity’ and allows Tuvaluans to live, study, and work in Australia as climate impacts intensify, contributing to both Australian society and their home country.
The climate migration initiative reflects growing international concern over the impacts of climate change on vulnerable island nations and highlights efforts to balance humanitarian support with the protection of cultural identity.
