Gérald Darmanin facing the social crisis in Mayotte.
The Minister of the Interior is visiting the archipelago this Sunday, paralyzed for three weeks by a movement of anger against insecurity and illegal immigration.
Visiting with the new Minister for Overseas Affairs Marie Guévenoux, the two members of the government will try to provide answers to the protest.
Barely off the plane, Gérald Darmanin announced a first drastic measure: the end of the registration of land rights on the island.
“It will no longer be possible to become French if you are not the child of French parents, we will reduce the attractiveness of the archipelago,” he declared.
Also read “It’s an explosive cocktail”: in Mayotte, life to the rhythm of violence and roadblocks
The day before his departure, the minister published a video on his social networks in which he detailed the announcements he will make during his trip.
“We first came to listen, to the collectives, the citizens, the mayors,” assured the Minister of the Interior.
He then announced “the total evacuation of the Cavani camp” in Mamoudzou, where there are hundreds of African asylum seekers.
The presence of this camp has become a source of growing tensions on the island of Mayotte.
Message to the Mahorais ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/dF5WtGdGQy
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) February 10, 2024
Gérald Darmanin specifies that “refugees who have obtained asylum will be able to be repatriated to France”, and those who have not obtained it “must in the coming hours be placed under house arrest or placed in the detention center administrative order for immediate expulsion to Great Lakes Africa or Madagascar.”
Fighting illegal immigration is essential “to restore public peace”, underlines the Minister of the Interior.
The Beauvau tenant then announced the implementation of “Operation Wambushu 2”.
The first edition had given “enormous results in the fight against irregular immigration and against delinquency”, according to him.
The Minister of the Interior promises “more law enforcement and justice resources” for this second edition, specifying that he will be accompanied during his visit by 15 members of the GIGN.
“No” to autonomy
Gérald Darmanin also mentions the fight against illegal immigration networks "which sometimes have their complicity in Mahorais society, and sometimes in good Mahorais society", according to him, citing for example those "who bring in irregular foreigners to work or who provide certificates of paternity.
The judicial police resources that he has just announced “will make it possible to fight against all this complicity”, he assures.
Still with the aim of fighting against irregular immigration, “with the Minister of the Armed Forces and at the request of the President”, Gérald Darmanin announces the establishment of a maritime “iron curtain” which should prevent the passage of kwassas , boats and illegal immigration channels.
Without giving too much detail, he mentions “many more means of interception, new radars, very concretely in the coming days you will see a radical change”.
The minister finally makes it known that he is “against the autonomy” of the island.
“Mayotte is a French department, we cannot accept the whims of those who say that we need a special community,” he says.
According to him “the Mayotte bill will allow each Mahorais to have the same rights and the same duties as all other French people on the national territory”.