Australia Offers ‘Climate Asylum’ to Residents of Pacific Nation

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Tuvalu Prime Minister sign a compact between the two nations at the Pacific Resort, Rarotonga, the Cook Islands, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. (AAP Image/Ben McKay)

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a “groundbreaking agreement” to offer asylum to residents of the small Pacific nation Tuvalu over fears climate change could impact their homeland.

The move provides a pathway for citizens of the South Pacific island country to relocate and access Australian services.

Working travel from the South Pacific into Australia is a major economic driver for island nations, whose economies rely heavily on remittances from Australian-based jobs.

“We believe the people of Tuvalu deserve the choice to live, study, and work elsewhere, as climate change impacts worsen,” Mr. Albanese said on Nov. 10 while travelling for the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in the Cook Islands.

“Australia has committed to provide a special pathway for citizens of Tuvalu to come to Australia, with access to Australian services that will enable human mobility with dignity,” he added.

“We know there is no prosperity without security and that climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security, and wellbeing of the peoples of Tuvalu.”

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Australia’s climate visa will be granted to 280 Tuvaluans each year, equivalent to 2.5 percent of Tuvalu’s population of 11,200.

It will also allocate funds for land reclamation in the capital, Funafuti, to increase its size by approximately 6 percent.

Mr. Albanese confirmed Australia would contribute $350 million (US$223 million) to the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership.

“In addition to that, we have at least $2 billion of climate financing commitment across the globe as part of our existing commitments that we’ve made,” he said.

“There’s a recognition that my government is committed to climate action and that we’re playing a positive role, not just with our commitment to reduce our emissions by 43 percent by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050. But that, importantly, we are playing a role in the region, and indeed, around the globe.”

Deal Gives Australia Veto Power Over Tuvalu Security Deals

Additionally, the agreement also has health, disaster relief, and security elements to it amid Beijing’s growing influence in the region.

“Australia commits to provide assistance to Tuvalu in response to a major natural disaster, to a health pandemic, or to military aggression,” the prime minister said.

“To allow for effective operation of Australia’s security guarantee, both countries commit to mutually agree to any partnership, arrangement or engagement with any other state or entity on security and defence-related matters.”

This will effectively give Australia the power to veto any third-party security-related agreement that Tuvalu tries to enter into.

Tuvalu is one of the few countries in the world to continue maintaining official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, setting it apart from Pacific nations that have switched over to Beijing.