Mayotte awaits announcements from the State on the sensitive issue of migrants

The president of the Mayotte Assembly, Ben Issa Ousseni, indicated that the Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñez, was expected to visit the archipelago soon to provide answers regarding the controversial migrant camp project. This prospect has generated strong opposition among many local elected officials.

For several weeks, political leaders in Mayotte have rejected the idea of ​​an official camp for nationals from mainland Africa to replace the informal site in Tsoundzou, where more than a thousand people currently live. Ben Issa Ousseni claims to have relayed to Paris “the voice of the people of Mayotte” opposed to any permanent establishment of such a facility.

The state promises security measures and accelerated processing of asylum applications.

According to the president of the Departmental Assembly, a team from the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA) is to be sent to Mayotte to expedite the processing of asylum applications from migrants in the camp. The stated objective is to accelerate procedures and facilitate the deportation of those whose applications are rejected.

The new prefect of Mayotte, Frédéric Poisot, has nevertheless assured that no final decision has been made regarding the creation of an official camp. In parallel, the authorities are planning the deployment of a “very special security detail” around Tsoundzou, an area regularly affected by violence in southern Mamoudzou.