Climate lottery Tuvaluans look to Australian treaty to escape disaster

On the sandy shores of Vaiaku village, Tekafa Piliota sits in his small classroom and dreams of becoming a doctor.

- Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson

The 13-year-old, who lives on the island of Fongafale in Tuvalu's main atoll, Funafuti, knows that it would mean leaving his homeland since there are no universities in the Pacific island country of about 11,500 people.

"I would like to go to Australia to study," he says. "There is higher ground in Australia, and it might be safer during natural disasters."

In the years to come, he could see that dream become a reality. This week the first ballot opened that allows citizens of Tuvalu to apply to move to Australia. It is part of a world-first agreement the two countries signed in 2023 that creates a visa in the context of climate change.

Tuvalu, which lies between Australia and Hawaii, is predicted to be one of the first countries to become uninhabitable owing to rising sea levels.

The agreement, known as the Falepili Union treaty, will allow up to 280 Tuvaluans each year to migrate to Australia and obtain permanent residency, and move freely between the countries. The treaty also contains provisions to deepen ties, including security guarantees and disaster assistance.

Tuvalu's prime minister, Feleti Teo, described the agreement as "groundbreaking, unprecedented and landmark".

"There's a lot of excitement around the migration pathway, both in Tuvalu and among our diaspora," Teo said. "It doesn't mean you have to live the rest of your life in Australia. You can go in and come out as you wish."

Yet as the historic treaty stirs hope among some Tuvaluans, it has also raised fears that the flow of people out of the country will create labour gaps and lead to a loss of cultural knowledge. Others have criticised the treaty's sovereignty implications and questioned how it was negotiated.

"It was done in a secretive manner, kept away from the people, kept away from parliamentary process," said Enele Sopoaga, a former prime minister of Tuvalu and climate diplomat.