France preps to expel irregular migrants from island territory of Mayotte

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – France is gearing up to expel irregular migrants from its island department of Mayotte, off southeastern Africa near Madagascar, according to media reports.

The country is preparing to launch an operation on Tuesday morning to evacuate slums where the irregular migrants live, mostly from the neighboring island of Comoros, broadcaster France 24 said.

They will be moved from Mayotte to Anjouan, the closest island to Comoros, the same source added.

Comoros has reportedly refused to admit the expelled individuals, local media said.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on Monday morning announced the operation on broadcaster France 2, saying: "This is an operation anti-delinquency and anti-slums ... And there are irregular individuals, who we expel classically."

On broadcaster Radio Classique, Estelle Youssouffa and Mansour Kamardine, members of the French parliament for the Mayotte archipelago, expressed their support for Operation Wuambushu.

"The slums are homes of insecurity, violence, hosting traffickers, and gangs who spread terror," Youssouffa said.

France will deploy 1,800 police and gendarmerie officers, France 24 also said.

Last November, Youssouffa accused the government of neglecting years of violence in the region, while Mamoudzou, the biggest city in Mayotte, was facing an unprecedented rise in gang violence.

The lawmaker asked Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne when will she ever deploy the navy "in order to defend the borders" of the archipelago.

"What do you intend to do to prevent a civil war in Mayotte?" she said.

- Situation in Mayotte

Mayotte has the highest unemployment rate among the French overseas departments, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.

In 2021, the annual unemployment rate was 30% on the archipelago, versus 7.9% in the rest of France.

Only 32% of Mayotte residents age 15 or above who left school have a qualifying diploma.

The island also has the youngest population in France with 60% of its population aged under 25.

Mayotte attracted immigrants from neighboring islands, especially Comoros, in the last five years, mainly women aged 15 to 34 and their children.

Nearly half of its population does not have the French nationality but a third of the foreigners are born in the island, according to INSEE.

Authorities last year have escorted 25,380 foreigners to the border, Mayotte prefecture said.

Mayotte became a French protectorate in 1841 and a department of France in 2011 following a referendum.