The Tuvalu-Australia Climate Migration Pact Could Set a Global Precedent

The Tuvalu-Australia Climate Migration Pact Could Set a Global Precedent
Prime Minister Feleti Penitala Teo of Tuvalu speaks at the U.N. COP29 Climate Change Conference, in Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 13, 2024 (Sipa photo by Dominika Zarzycka via AP Images).

Tuvalu, a Pacific Island nation of 11,200 people, is forecast to be the first country to become uninhabitable due to climate change. In response, it has successfully negotiated the first legally binding climate migration agreement for the emigration of its citizens to another country, specifically Australia.

The bilateral Falepili Union, which was signed late last year, came into effect in August and aims to be operational by mid-2025. It will initially provide 280 Tuvalu citizens, or 2.5 percent of the population, with a voluntary, self-funded legal pathway to emigrate to Australia each year as permanent residents with access to education, employment, state services and a pathway to citizenship. Canberra also agreed to provide Tuvalu with more than $11 million in funding for climate adaptation to build coastal protection infrastructure, as well as aid in times of disasters and military threats. The pact also expands bilateral security cooperation.

Experts believe that the Falepili Union could set a global precedent for other countries and regions where worsening climate extremes will exert greater stresses on human life this century.

Keep reading for free

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

Get instant access to the rest of this article by creating a free account below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:
Subscribe for an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review
  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.