Australia must not be afraid of its obligations to Pacific climate migrants | Richard Marles

Australia's humanitarian intake is from distant countries; as climate change leads some islanders to migrate, that will change. So must our approach

It is almost impossible to convey the extraordinary landscape of an inhabited coral atoll without seeing it firsthand. From the sky, the thin strips of low-lying land surrounding turquoise blue lagoons make sense as a refuge for the explorer who has been months at sea. But as a place to live, build a home and create a culture it feels the most unlikely site for human society.

At most points water can be seen on both sides of these strips of land. As sandbars between islets have been converted into roads the impression is created that in many places the width of the country is the width of the street.