MAMOUDZOU, Mayotte (AP) 鈥� When ravaged Mayotte鈥檚 fragile infrastructure, it also exposed deep-seated tensions between the island鈥檚 residents and its large migrant population.
Thousands of people who have entered the island illegally bore the that tore through the Indian Ocean archipelago 鈥� Authorities in Mayotte said many migrants avoided emergency shelters out of fear of deportation, leaving themselves and the precarious shantytowns they inhabit even more vulnerable to the devastation.
Meanwhile, anger simmered among residents who accused the government of diverting the island鈥檚 already scarce resources to migrants at their expense.
鈥淲e are the legitimate population of this island,鈥� said Amada Salime. Standing in the rubble of his home on Saturday, he added, 鈥淚f there is help from the government 鈥� water or something to eat or money to make houses 鈥� Mahorais people will not have it. Immigrants are more numerous than us, and we will be left behind.鈥�
Mayotte, a French department located between Madagascar and mainland Africa, has a population of 320,000. French authorities have estimated another 100,000 migrants also live there, most of whom have arrived from the nearby Comoros Islands, just 70 kilometers (43 miles) away.
The island鈥檚 fragile public services, designed for a much smaller population, are buckling under the strain. According to the French statistics agency INSEE, around three-quarters of Mayotte鈥檚 population live in poverty, with a median annual disposable income just one-eighth that of the Paris metropolitan area.
鈥淭he problems of Mayotte cannot be solved without addressing illegal immigration,鈥� said during his testy visit this week, acknowledging the challenges posed by the island鈥檚 rapid population growth. 鈥淒espite the state鈥檚 investments, migratory pressure has made everything explode,鈥� he added.
People living in Mayotte for decades worry about a crackdown
The cyclone further exacerbated the island鈥檚 issues after destroying homes, schools and infrastructure. Though the official death toll remains 35, authorities say that any estimates are likely major undercounts, with hundreds feared dead.
The migrants鈥� shantytowns, known as 鈥渂angas,鈥� have long been an issue in Mayotte. 鈥淐an we solve the issue of shantytowns today? The answer is no. We will address it during the stabilization and rebuilding phase,鈥� Macron said.
For many migrants, like Nazca Antoiy, a Comorian who has lived in Mayotte for a decade, the cyclone has heightened fears of displacement.
鈥淚 heard that people were told not to reconstruct new houses. So we need to worry about that,鈥� she said, reflecting a widespread concern that authorities may use the disaster to expedite demolitions of informal settlements.
Such concerns are not unfounded. Last year, France launched Operation Wuambushu, a controversial campaign to demolish shantytowns and deport migrants who entered illegally. Macron hinted that similar policies could resume but stressed reconstruction efforts would take precedence.
The storm has left many residents struggling to meet basic needs.
A hotspot for migrants
鈥淚 can鈥檛 take it anymore. Just to have water is complicated,鈥� said Fatima, a 46-year-old mother of five whose family has been without clean water since the storm ravaged Mayotte last weekend. Fatima, who only gave her first name because her family is known locally, also said she felt the island could not support the current population, let alone more.
Most migrants have family links in Mayotte and speak the same language. They seek a better life on the island rather than aiming to reach the European continent.
Mayotte鈥檚 geopolitical position 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 archipelago as its own. This unresolved dispute has fueled waves of migration, with thousands risking perilous sea crossings each year.
Outgoing French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau recently reignited the debate, describing the situation in Mayotte as a 鈥渨ar,鈥� earlier this week. Retailleau proposed stricter measures, including using drones and naval patrols to block further arrivals. 鈥淲e must be much tougher on the Comoros,鈥� he said, accusing the neighboring government of allowing migrants to leave its shores unchecked.
Retailleau鈥檚 calls to 鈥渃hange the rules鈥� include proposals to restrict birthright citizenship in Mayotte, a policy already tightened in 2018 to require proof that at least one parent had been a legal resident for more than three months. Critics argue that these measures only deepen Mayotte鈥檚 divisions without addressing the root causes of migration.
A 2023 parliamentary report cited in French media warned that the island was a 鈥渢icking time bomb,鈥� while suggesting redistributing part of Mayotte鈥檚 migrant population to mainland France 鈥� a proposal unlikely to gain widespread support.
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Adamson reported from Paris.
Sam Mednick And Thomas Adamson, The Associated Press
