National Rally chief Marine Le Pen on Sunday branded as insufficient French government plans to rebuild Mayotte following the devastation left on the Indian Ocean archipelago by Cyclone Chido on 9 December.
Speaking shortly after stepping off a military aircraft in Mayotte, Le Pen said: "The promises made to the people of Mayotte, who are suffering like mad, must not be forgotten."
During a visit to Mayotte last month, French Prime Minister François Bayrou unveiled a package of measures in which electricity would be restored to homes by the end of January.
He also said 200 satellite link systems would be set up to ensure emergency communications and that state- guaranteed loans would be offered at special rates. He also warned against the reconstruction of informal settlements. There were also offers to educate children in mainland France and promises to deploy more police officers.
"The government's plan does not go far enough because I think it lacks an important component, which is a diplomatic component, without which many of the things that have been promised will not be delivered’," Le Pen said on Sunday.
"If necessary, of course we'll be there to remind the government of any promises that may have been made."
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Le Pen last visited Mayotte in April 2024 to drum up for support for her party's candidates at the European elections and speak out against illegal immigration from neighbouring Comoros and Madagascar.
So far, 39 people have been confirmed dead in Mayotte following the cyclone but the identities of all the victims may never be known.
Though Mayotte, the poorest department in France, has an official population of just over 330,000 people, it is wealthy compared to its neighbours and estimated to house up to 100,000 unregistered migrants.
"The issue is not one of reconstruction, but of construction," Le Pen added. "Since everything has been abandoned for so many years that it is actually necessary to build. Today, we are still faced with an emergency."
Just ahead of her arrival, an article was published in the French newspaper Le Figaro on Sunday in which the Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau joined forces with Manuel Valls, the Overseas Territories Minister and the Armed Forces Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, to explain that a tougher approach was needed on migration in the region to ensure solid reconstruction.
"To rebuild the French territory damaged by cyclone Chido on a lasting basis, the mobilisation of public authorities must be combined with an effective fight against illegal immigration and a significant increase in resources for action," they wrote.
"We've been saying that for years and years," said Le Pen of their stance.
On Sunday night, Le Pen is expected to meet rescue crews and local residents before touring Mayotte on Monday to assess the damage in the remote parts of the island.
In France, Green MP Sandrine Rousseau condemned Le Pen's visit as a political show.
"The two scourges of Mayotte are poverty and the lack of public services," Rousseau told the weekly political discussion BFM Politique/ La Tribune Dimanche.
"Why did Cyclone Chido do so much damage? Because Mayotte is an extremely poor territory.
"Before we talk about immigration, let's start by talking about people's conditions, their safety, their health and their access to school."
