\n<\/p>\n
MAMOUDZOU, Mayotte (AP) \u2014 Cyclone Chido not only ravaged Mayotte\u2019s fragile infrastructure but also laid bare deep-seated tensions between the island\u2019s residents and its large migrant population.<\/p>\n
Thousands of people who have entered the island illegally bore the brunt of the storm that tore through the Indian Ocean archipelago. Authorities in Mayotte, France’s poorest territory, said many avoided emergency shelters out of fear of deportation, leaving them, and the shantytowns they live in, even more vulnerable to the cyclone\u2019s devastation.<\/p>\n
Still, some frustrated legal residents have accused the government of channeling scarce resources to migrants at their expense.<\/p>\n
See for yourself \u2014 The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t take it anymore. Just to have water is complicated,\u201d said Fatima on Saturday, a 46-year-old mother of five whose family has struggled to find clean water since the storm.<\/p>\n
Fatima, who only gave her first name because her family is known locally, added that \u201cthe island can\u2019t support the people living in it, let alone allow more to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mayotte, a French department located between Madagascar and mainland Africa, has a population of 320,000, including an estimated 100,000 migrants, most of whom have arrived from the nearby Comoros Islands, just 70 kilometers (43 miles) away.<\/p>\n
The archipelago’s fragile public services, designed for a much smaller population, have been overwhelmed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe problems of Mayotte cannot be solved without addressing illegal immigration,\u201d French President Emmanuel Macron said during his visit this week, acknowledging the challenges posed by the island\u2019s rapid population growth,<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite the state\u2019s investments, migratory pressure has made everything explode,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The cyclone further exacerbated the island\u2019s issues after destroying homes, schools, and infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Though the official death toll remains 35, authorities say that any estimates are likely major undercounts, with hundreds and possibly thousands feared dead. Meanwhile, the number of seriously injured has risen to 78.<\/p>\n
The migrants’ shantytowns, known as “bangas,” have long been an issue in Mayotte.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan we solve the issue of shantytowns today? The answer is no. We will address it during the stabilization and rebuilding phase,\u201d Macron said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
For many like Nazca Antoiy, a Comorian who has lived in Mayotte for a decade, the cyclone has stoked fears of displacement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard that people were told not to reconstruct new houses. So we need to worry about that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
These fears are not unfounded. Last year, France launched Operation Wuambushu, a controversial campaign to demolish shantytowns and deport undocumented migrants. Macron hinted that similar policies could resume but stressed reconstruction efforts would take precedence.<\/p>\n
Mayotte\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Outgoing French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau recently reignited the debate, describing the situation in Mayotte as a \u201cwar,\u201d earlier this week. Retailleau proposed stricter measures, including using drones and naval patrols to block further arrivals. \u201cWe must be much tougher on the Comoros,\u201d he said, accusing the neighboring government of allowing migrants to leave its shores unchecked.<\/p>\n
Retailleau\u2019s calls to \u201cchange the rules\u201d 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\u2019s divisions without addressing the root causes of migration.<\/p>\n
A 2023 parliamentary report cited in French media warned that the island was a \u201cticking time bomb” while suggesting redistributing part of Mayotte\u2019s migrant population to mainland France \u2014 a proposal unlikely to gain widespread support.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
Adamson reported from Paris<\/p>\n<\/div>\n