Arabic version: عائلات من توفالو تبني حياة جديدة في أستراليا

According to ABC News, Tuvaluan sisters Poeva and Akesa have moved to Australia as climate change and the search for education and work opportunities reshape their family’s future. The Pacific nation, about 4,000 kilometres north-east of Australia, consists of nine small islands and has a population of about 11,000. The sisters describe their home as “beautiful”, with coconut trees, swimming, fishing, traditional food, language and cultural dance.

Tuvalu’s highest point is only about 4.5 metres above sea level. Rising seas, strong winds and erosion are affecting homes, crops and low-lying land, while saltwater in the soil has made fresh produce difficult to grow. Half of the capital, Funafuti, is predicted to be flooded by 2050, and some experts say the country could be uninhabitable by 2100.

Australia and Tuvalu made the Falepili Union agreement in 2023. Under the deal, Australia pledged millions of dollars to support Tuvalu’s climate adaptation, critical services and security, and introduced a visa system allowing 280 Tuvaluans to migrate each year. More than 8,000 of Tuvalu’s 11,000 residents applied for Australian visas last year.

Pastor Manu Puafolau, one of the first people granted a visa, now lives in Naracoorte in regional South Australia, where about 30 Tuvaluan migrants have formed a community. He says faith, family and cultural learning are central to Tuvaluan life, but communal meeting places known as falekaupule are difficult to replicate in Australia. Poeva and Akesa are still adjusting, missing relatives and friends while working to preserve their language and traditions. Poeva says her family moved for safety and opportunity, not because they wanted to leave their culture behind.