Abstract
The decision by France to definitively incorporate Mayotte as part of its sovereign territory has had a negative impact on the Union’s political, security and economic development. The introduction of a rigid visa regime preventing the free movement of people between the islands that comprise the Comoros archipelago has resulted in large-scale irregular migration from the three islands of the Union of Comoros to Mayotte. The chapter examines France’s rationales for retaining Mayotte; the impact of its policy on the inter-island politics of the Union and on the lives and livelihoods of the peoples of all four islands. It concludes that whilst the status quo is detrimental to all involved, the current French government is determined to retain the securitisation policy favoured by previous governments.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alwahti, A. (2003), ‘Prevention of secessionist movements in a micro-state: the international mediation in the Comoros Islands’, International Affairs, vol.13, no.1, pp. 65–83.
Caminade, P. (2004), ‘La France et l’Union des Comores: saboteur et protéger’, Multitudes, no.17, pp. 119–122.
Cimade (2012), ‘À Mayotte, le gouvernement offre 1.37 m2 aux personnes qu’il enferme dans le centre de rétention de Pamandzi’, 12 December. Available at http://www.lacimade.org/nouvelles/4228---Mayotte--le-gouvernement-offre-1–37-m2--aux-personnes-qu-ilenferme-dans-le-centre-de-r-tention-de-Pamandzi--.
Comores News (2014), ‘Comores/Anjouan: le gouverneur Anissi favorable aux kwassas vers Mayotte sous certaines conditions’, 31 July. Available at http://komorenews.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/comoresanjouan-le-gouverneur-anissi.html.
Cornwell, R.(1998), ‘Anjouan: a spat in the Indian Ocean’, African Security Review, vol.7, no.3.
Da la Cruz, V. et al. (2004), Remittances to Comoros, Washington: World Bank. Available at: http://www.worldbank.org/afr/wps/wp75.pdf.
Diabate A., and Meddeb R. (2014),’Comoros: 2014’ African Economic Outlook. Available at http://www.africaneconomicoutlook.org/fileadmin/uploads/aeo/2014/PDF/CN_Long_EN/Comores_EN.pdf.
Florence, S et al. (2010), ‘Migration, health and access to care in Mayotte Island in 2007: lessons learned from a representative survey’, Revue Epidemiol Santé Publique, no.58, pp. 237–244.
Fouillet A. dir. (2007), Comoros: un aller simple pour Mayotte, Les Films Bonnette et Minette.
France 24 (2015), ‘Immigration clandestine à Mayotte: le récit d’un Comorien’, 26 February. Available at: http://observers.france24.com/fr/content/20150226-immigration-clandestine-mayotte-recitcomorien-controle-frontiere-france.
Ghorbal, S. (2008), ‘Sambi sur le pied de guerre’, Jeune Afrique, no. 2457, February, p.14.
Godard, H. and Kaufmant, A. (2001), ‘La vague déferlante de ‘immigration’, Mappe Monde, vol. 64, no.4.
Indian Ocean Newsletter (2011), no. 1317, 1 October.
Institut national de la statistique et des etudes économique (2011), ‘Produit intérieur brut à Mayotte en 2009’, Mayotte Infos, No. 55, November. Available at: http://www.insee.fr/fr/insee_regions/mayotte/themes/infos/infos55/infos55.pdf.
Journal de Mayotte (2014), ‘Immigration clandestine: plus de kwassas, moins de reconduites’, 3 February. Available at: http://lejournaldemayotte.com/une/immigration-clandestine-plus-dekwassas-moins-de-reconduites.
Legeard, L. (2012/13), ‘L’Immigration Clandestine á Mayotte’, Outre-Terre, nos.33–34, 635–649.
Massey, S. and Baker, B. (2009), ‘Comoros: External Involvement in a Small Island State’, Chatham House Programme Paper, June. Available at: http://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/public/Research/Africa/0709comorospp.pdf.
Massey, S. (2013), ‘Ties that bind and ties that don’t: France’s role in bringing together and pulling apart the people of the Comoros archipelago’, in Griffiths, C. (ed.), Contesting Historical Divides in Francophone Africa, Chester: Chester University Press.
Math, A. (2013), ‘Mayotte, Terre d’Emigration Massive’, Plein droit, no.96.
Sueur, J-P., Cointat, C., and Desplan, F. (2012), ‘Rapport d’information à la suite d’une mission effectuée à Mayotte du 11 au 15 mars 2012’, 18 July. Available at http://www.senat.fr/rap/r11–675/r11–6751.pdf.
Ottenheimer, H. (2001), ‘Spelling ShiAnjouan: Dictionary construction and orthographic choice in the Comoro Islands’, Written Language and Literacy, vol.4, no.1, pp. 15–24.
Renou, X., La privitisation de la violence, Paris: Agone.
Saindou, K. (2008), ‘Edine, ‘Polices des iles: le spectre des soldats négligés’, Kashkazi, June/July.
Walker, I. (2007), ‘What came first, the nation or the state? Political process in the Comoro Islands’, Africa, vol.77, no.4, pp. 582–605.
United Nations (2011), World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision, New York: United Nations. Available at: http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Documentation/pdf/WPP2010_Volume-I_Comprehensive-Tables.pdf.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2015 Simon Massey
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Massey, S. (2015). A Hidden Catastrophe: Irregular Migration within the Comoros Archipelago. In: Massey, S., Coluccello, R. (eds) Eurafrican Migration: Legal, Economic and Social Responses to Irregular Migration. Palgrave Pivot, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137391353_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137391353_7
Publisher Name: Palgrave Pivot, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-56016-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-39135-3
eBook Packages: Palgrave Social Sciences CollectionSocial Sciences (R0)