More than 5,000 people have applied for a first-of-its-kind migration visa that offers residents of a Pacific island an escape from the worst effects of climate change.
Applications for the visa opened to people in Tuvalu on June 16 and close today (July 18). Under its terms, 280 Tuvaluans can relocate to Australia each year from 2025 through a ballot system. Four days after the ballot opened, 3,125 Tuvaluans — roughly one-third of the nation’s population of 11,000 people — had already registered for a chance to receive the visa. As of July 11, a total of 5,157 people had applied, Nikkei Asia reported.
“This is the first agreement of its kind anywhere in the world, providing a pathway for mobility with dignity as climate impacts worsen,” Australian government representatives told New Scientist in a statement.
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