Elisabeth Borne arrived in Mayotte, the poorest department in France and facing multiple crises, this Friday, December 8. Accompanied by two ministers, Aurélien Rousseau (Health) and Philippe Vigier (Overseas), the Prime Minister was welcomed with traditional songs and flower leis at Petite-Terre airport where, upon her arrival, she mentioned the shortage of water, to which residents only have access one day in three.
If this crisis initially motivated her trip to Mayotte, this Indian Ocean archipelago of 310,000 inhabitants, where Marine Le Pen received nearly 60% of the votes in the last presidential election, has also been shaken for several weeks by clashes between villages, which led to the sending of police reinforcements.
After visiting a desalination plant which is to be expanded, Elisabeth Borne attended a distribution of bottled water. A measure which, like the payment of invoices or aid to businesses, will continue “as long as necessary”. “You are welcome to Mayotte but there is a but. Before we lived freely now we are in prison” with insecurity, challenged a local elected official. “Liberty equals what in our country? Prison. Equality equals what in our country? Killing unfortunately” and “fraternity equals what in our country? Thirst”, she explained.
“We can clearly see that the water crisis is added to all the crises that exist,” replied the head of government. The archipelago is facing its worst drought since 1997, made worse by a lack of infrastructure and investment. Concerning insecurity, “the violence that you are experiencing is not normal”, recognized the Prime Minister. The fight against irregular immigration and insecurity are “absolute priorities”, we explain to Matignon. Elisabeth Borne must also announce a strengthening of the resources of the Shikandra plan to combat irregular immigration.
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Matignon assures him, however: “the government’s policy towards Mayotte” must also include an “overall vision for its development” in terms of schools, health and housing. Elisabeth Borne must then visit a shanty town which must soon be dismantled in Koungou. She will announce the creation of an operation of national interest in three municipalities to help with the rehousing of its inhabitants. This subject is debated on the island. MP LR Mansour Kamardine thus considers that new constructions will lead to “a breath of fresh air” for immigration. Half of the population does not have French nationality, according to INSEE, even if a third of foreigners were born on the island. And around 30% of housing is unsanitary housing.
At the departmental council, Elisabeth Borne must also sign a “financial agreement” by which the State will provide 100 million euros in 2024 for early childhood, whose expenses are exploding with population growth. Then she will go to the only hospital in Mayotte, which is seriously lacking in caregivers, to announce its expansion as well as new training offers to attract nurses.
It remains to be seen whether all these measures will live up to residents’ expectations. This visit of around twelve hours to Mayotte, the first by a head of government since Manuel Valls in 2015, coincides with the start of the examination in the Assembly, Monday, of the very sensitive immigration bill on which Gérald Darmanin is on the front line. The Minister of the Interior will be in Nice and Menton the same day to talk about irregular immigration. He came to the archipelago in June to defend the controversial police operation Wuambushu to combat unsanitary housing (slums), crime and illegal immigration.