Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has announced that France will maintain the number of elite police officers deployed on the Indian Ocean island of Mayotte following an outbreak of violence between rival neighbourhoods that began in November.
During a two-day visit to Mayotte at the weekend, the French Interior Minister gave a progress report on the government's commitments, as the island emerges from an spike in violence between rival gangs.
He announced that 12 police officers from the 'Raid' police tactical unit already present on the island, will remain mobilised there for several more months.
Since November, the Indian Ocean territory has seen clashes between young people from rival neighbourhoods provoked by a murder, which has since lead to the creation of vigilante groups.
Pour la sécurité des Mahorais, nous avons pérennisé la présence de 12 policiers du RAID, en plus des 30 gendarmes du GIGN. Ces renforts permettront de lutter avec efficacité contre les épisodes de violences que connaît l’île, notamment par l’interpellation d’individus dangereux. pic.twitter.com/3FQwkOvD1S
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) January 1, 2023
On Sunday, Darmanin underlined France's commitment to security on the island, while underlining the gravity of the situation.
"There are now 1,300 police officers and gendarmes on an island with 300,000 inhabitants.
"In other words, for a population seven times smaller than Lyon ... there are twice as many police and gendarmes," he told French public broadcaster France Info.
Tackling illegal immigration
Darmanin also outlined his plans to tackle illegal immigration – which has exacerbated tensions – by bolstering the judicial police force.
"Previously, it was often necessary for the people specialised in carrying out investigations to be [brought in] from Paris or Réunion Island," he told FranceInfo.
"A decree on 27 December gave a concrete structure to the government's commitment to have an office of judicial police against illegal immigration [based] in Mayotte," he added.
Darmanin also announced the creation of an inter-ministerial research group – specialised police officers and gendarmes who will work on the trafficking that arises from this illegal immigration, particularly undocumented workers and smuggling.
The island has been facing an influx of migrants from the Comoros, Madagascar, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The illegal foreign population on the territory is greater than the legal foreign residents and the French population combined.
"I think that the right of residence in Mayotte should be tightened up," the Interior Minister said, adding that the current common law system of birth rights – which requires that one of two parents show proof of legal residence on the territory for at least three months – does not work.
"It has limited this irregular immigration but it has not stopped it," he concluded.
