Several media platforms on Sunday reported that one-third of the population on Tuvalu is seeking climate visas in Australia due to rising oceans submerging much of the island nation.

According to the reports, more than 3,000 Tuvaluans, out of around 10,000 of the country’s total population, have registered for the initial round of visas under the Australian program.

In 2023, the two countries signed the Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union, which recognized the special circumstances that Tuvalu faces due to climate change. According to the treaty, Australia will guarantee safe legal pathways for citizens of Tuvalu who wish to work and live in Australia, with crucial access to healthcare, education, and family support programs. The two nations have since used the treaty to expand their international partnership.

Article 2 of the treaty also stipulates that the parties will “commit to work together to help citizens of Tuvalu to stay in their homes,” recognizing the statehood of Tuvalu despite the concerning impact of “climate change-related sea-level rise.”

Alongside Tuvalu, several island countries in the Pacific Ocean face risks of disappearing due to climate change. The World Meteorological Organization has stated that rising sea levels have doubled in frequency and intensity since the 1980s, causing more frequent coastal flooding and subsequent displacement of local communities.

The term “climate refugee” is not officially recognized in international law, causing difficulties for people displaced due to climate change. Article 1 of the 1951 Refugee Convention defines a “refugee” as someone who, having a well-founded fear of being persecuted on race, religion, nationality, social group, or political grounds, lives outside of their country of origin, and is unable to return. As such, this provision does not cover people displaced due to rising sea levels or other environmental forces.

According to the UN’s Refugee Agency, UNHCR, climate change is deepening the world displacement crisis, creating more and more difficulties for refugees, the internally displaced, and “stateless” people. As the agency indicates, the degrading environmental conditions increase the risk of repeated displacement, particularly for countries that fail to adapt to newcomers.