The French Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, announced this Wednesday a reinforcement of control over the maritime accesses to the island of Mayotte, as well as a system of incentives and sanctions linked to development aid aimed at seven African countries, with the purpose of containing the migratory pressure on this overseas territory of France.
Lecornu, who has visited the naval base of Dzaoudzi and will remain two days in Mayotte, explained that the Executive will activate a mechanism of bonuses and penalties in development aid —based on the nearly 300 million euros committed for 2024— for the States that collaborate with Paris on migratory matters.
Among the affected countries are Comoros, Burundi, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Somalia, and Kenya. "The criteria will be public: prevented departures, fighting against traffickers, issued consular safe conducts, accepted returns, exchanged information, and dismantled networks. Direct humanitarian aid to the populations will not be affected," he has stated on social media.
The head of the French Government also detailed a "greater militarization" of the archipelago, given that "it is no longer just about intercepting the vessels" with migrants, but "about detecting them and intervening before they reach the coast."
"Our objective: to eliminate the blind spots around the island. The four radars (that the territory has) will be renewed. Long-range drones, onboard drones, and tethered balloons will complete the surveillance. A permanent advanced military post will be installed in M'tsamboro (in the north of the island)," he added.
Lecornu has specified that there will be a shift from "occasional interventions to a continuous presence." "The deployment of 62 additional police and gendarmes is planned by the end of 2026. Each week, more than 100 agents will focus on violent neighborhoods, illegal work, and criminal networks," he indicated.
In parallel, the French Government will increase the resources of Justice starting in 2027. "We confirm the construction of a second prison center with 250 places: its exact location will be decided and the first studies will be launched in the first quarter of 2027," he concluded.
The Paris Executive faces criticism for the abandonment situation that, according to its inhabitants, Mayotte has been dragging for decades by continental France, criticism that intensified after the devastating cyclone "Chido," recorded in December 2024. It is the poorest territory in the country: around a third of its 320,000 residents live in shantytown settlements and in conditions of extreme precariousness.