Australia has signed a treaty with Tuvalu to offer citizens of the climate change-threatened nation the chance to build lives in Australia.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the announcement in the Cook Islands on Friday alongside Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum.
The pact has several elements, including climate mitigation and adaptation, the migration pathway, and security.
Under the arrangement, Australia will take in 280 Tuvaluans a year, allowing them access to a special visa.
Tuvalu is a country of 11,200 people. The central Pacific country consists of nine low-lying islands that are situated approximately midway between Australia and Hawaii.
It is also one of the nations most severely threatened by the catastrophic impacts of the climate crisis due to rising sea levels.
Australia’s new deal with Tuvalu is part of a broader landmark treaty that will strengthen ties between the two countries and counter China’s influence in the region.
Mr Albanese called it a “ground-breaking” agreement, while Mr Natano said the deal was “a beacon of hope”.
The unique climate refuge pact is the first Canberra has offered to foreign nations due to risks posed by the climate crisis.
It will be regarded as a significant day in which Australia acknowledged that we are part of the Pacific family, and with that comes the responsibility to act,” Mr Albanese said on Friday.
The agreement provides a security guarantee to the nation to also respond to security challenges and major natural disasters.
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