A Hidden Catastrophe: Irregular Migration within the Comoros Archipelago

  • Simon Massey
Chapter

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.

Keywords

Indian Ocean Pull Factor Irregular Migrant Undocumented Worker French Authority 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. 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.Google Scholar
  2. Caminade, P. (2004), ‘La France et l’Union des Comores: saboteur et protéger’, Multitudes, no.17, pp. 119–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. 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--.
  4. 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.
  5. Cornwell, R.(1998), ‘Anjouan: a spat in the Indian Ocean’, African Security Review, vol.7, no.3.Google Scholar
  6. Da la Cruz, V. et al. (2004), Remittances to Comoros, Washington: World Bank. Available at: http://www.worldbank.org/afr/wps/wp75.pdf.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.Google Scholar
  9. Fouillet A. dir. (2007), Comoros: un aller simple pour Mayotte, Les Films Bonnette et Minette.Google Scholar
  10. 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.Google Scholar
  11. Ghorbal, S. (2008), ‘Sambi sur le pied de guerre’, Jeune Afrique, no. 2457, February, p.14.Google Scholar
  12. Godard, H. and Kaufmant, A. (2001), ‘La vague déferlante de ‘immigration’, Mappe Monde, vol. 64, no.4.Google Scholar
  13. Indian Ocean Newsletter (2011), no. 1317, 1 October.Google Scholar
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. Legeard, L. (2012/13), ‘L’Immigration Clandestine á Mayotte’, Outre-Terre, nos.33–34, 635–649.Google Scholar
  17. 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.
  18. 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.Google Scholar
  19. Math, A. (2013), ‘Mayotte, Terre d’Emigration Massive’, Plein droit, no.96.Google Scholar
  20. 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.
  21. 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.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. Renou, X., La privitisation de la violence, Paris: Agone.Google Scholar
  23. Saindou, K. (2008), ‘Edine, ‘Polices des iles: le spectre des soldats négligés’, Kashkazi, June/July.Google Scholar
  24. 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.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. 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.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Simon Massey 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  • Simon Massey

There are no affiliations available

Personalised recommendations