Overview
- More than 3,125 Tuvalu citizens registered in the first four days after applications opened on June 16, representing nearly one-third of the archipelago’s roughly 10,643 residents.
- The Falepili Union treaty signed in 2024 guarantees 280 climate visas each year for adult Tuvaluans facing displacement from rising ocean levels.
- The agreement binds Australia to defend Tuvalu against natural disasters, health crises or military threats while overseeing the island’s future defense partnerships.
- Canberra sees the pact as a strategic move to counter growing Chinese influence in the Pacific and strengthen ties with one of Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic allies.
- Observers warn that sustained emigration under the visa program may worsen labor shortages and accelerate cultural erosion in Tuvalu even as its habitability declines.