MAMOUDZOU, Mayotte (AP) – Cyclone Chido not only destroyed Mayotte's fragile infrastructure but also sowed deep tensions between the island's residents and its large migrant population.
Thousands of people who entered the island illegally were affected by the storm that tore through the islands of the Indian Ocean. Authorities in Mayotte, France's poorest region, said many were avoiding emergency shelters for fear of being deported, leaving them, and the shantytowns they live in, even more so. -injured by the destruction of the bicycle.
However, some legal residents have accused the government of sending scarce resources to migrants at their expense.
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“I can't take it anymore. Just water is complicated,” said Fatima Saturday, a 46-year-old mother of five, whose family has been struggling to find clean water since the storm.
Fatima, who only gave her first name because her family is known locally, said that “the island cannot support the people who live there, let alone allow more to come. “
Mayotte, a French province located between Madagascar and the African mainland, has a population of 320,000, including around 100,000 migrants, most of whom have arrived from the neighboring Comoros Islands. on hand, just 70 kilometers (43 miles) away.
The fragile public services of the islands, designed for a much smaller population, have been overwhelmed.
“Mayotte's problems cannot be solved without tackling illegal immigration,” French President Emmanuel Macron said during a visit this week, acknowledging the challenges of rapid growth population of the island,
“Despite the state's investments, the pressure of migration has exploded everything,” he said.
The cyclone made matters worse on the island after destroying homes, schools and infrastructure.
Although the official death toll remains at 35, authorities say any estimates are likely vast undercounts, with hundreds and possibly thousands dead feared. At the same time, the number of serious injuries has increased to 78.
Migrant shantytowns, known as “bangas,” have long been a problem in Mayotte.
“Can we solve the issue of shantytowns today? The answer is no. We will talk to him during the establishment and reconstruction,” Macron said.
Most migrants in Mayotte have family ties and speak the same language. They seek a better life on the island rather than aiming to reach the European continent.
For many like Nazca Antoiy, a Comorian who has lived in Mayotte for ten years, the cyclone has raised the fear of movement.
“I've heard that people have been told not to rebuild new houses. So we have to worry about that,” she said.
These fears are not unfounded. Last year, France launched Operation Wuambushu, a controversial campaign to demolish shantytowns and expel undocumented migrants. Macron said similar policies could be reintroduced but stressed that rebuilding efforts should be at the forefront.
Mayotte's geopolitical situation has long made it a hotspot for migration. While the island voted to remain French in referendums held in 1974 and 1976, neighboring Comoros has never recognized its sovereignty and continues to claim the islands as their own. This unresolved dispute has fueled waves of migration, with thousands at risk of perilous sea crossings each year.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau recently sparked the debate, describing the situation in Mayotte as “war,” earlier this week. Retailleau suggested tougher measures, including the use of drones and naval patrols to prevent incoming people. “We need to be much tougher on the Comoros,” he said, accusing the nearby government of allowing migrants to leave its shores unchecked.
Retailleau's calls to “change the rules” include proposals to limit birthright citizenship in Mayotte, a policy that was already tightened in 2018 to require proof that at least one parent was be a legal resident for more than three months. Critics argue that these measures only deepen the divisions of Mayotte without addressing the main causes of migration.
A 2023 parliamentary report published in the French media warned that the island was a “ticking time bomb” as it proposed redistributing part of Mayotte's migrant population to mainland France – a proposal which is unlikely to gain widespread support.
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Adamson reported from Paris
