Mayotte, composed of 2 islands, voted to remain in France in 1973. (representative)
Mamouzou, France:
French authorities on Sunday announced plans to revoke controversial constitutional changes to strip citizens of their birthplace of citizenship on the French Indian Ocean island of Mayotte, which has been battling social unrest and a severe migrant crisis.
France currently grants citizenship by descent and place of birth, a proposal that could further inflame tensions after the country passes strict new immigration laws.
While the left denounced the new plan as another attack on French values, some local activists in Mayotte welcomed it, and right-wing and far-right political leaders were quick to suggest it be applied across France.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced the changes on Sunday after arriving on the country’s poorest island, which has endured three weeks of protests.
In Mayotte’s capital, Mamouzou, hundreds of protesters greeted Darmanin and his entourage with boos and chants of “Mayotte is angry.”
Mayotte consists of two islands that voted in 1973 to remain part of France. Other islands in the surrounding Muslim-majority archipelago sought independence and became the Comoros Islands.
“We are going to make a radical decision,” Darmanin said.
“If you are not the child of French parents, you can no longer be French,” he said. He said the measure would make the islands less “attractive” to potential immigrants.
“This is an extremely strong, clear, radical measure that is obviously limited to Mayotte,” Darmanin said.
The right welcome
Boris Vallow, the Socialist leader of the National Assembly, said they would oppose changes to the constitution. “Birthright citizenship is non-negotiable,” he told France 3 broadcaster.
Manon Aubry of the far-left LFI party condemned the decision.
She wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that French President Emmanuel Macron’s government was “attacking the very foundation of the republic – the very concept of nationality.”
French campaign group SOS Racisme also condemned what it called “a particularly high-profile questioning of the principle of equality”.
“If this regulation is enacted, and if Marine Le Pen subsequently comes to power, it will be the end of birthright citizenship in France,” centrist lawmaker Aurelien Tache told BFMTV.
But right-wing Republican leader Eric Sciorti welcomed the reforms proposed by Darmanin but complained they did not go far enough.
“What happens in Mayotte could affect mainland France tomorrow,” he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. He added that the measure should apply to the entire French territory.
Sébastien Chenou, spokesman for Le Pen’s far-right national rally, has taken a similar stance.
“It took us a lot of time to come to the conclusion that the abolition of land rights, not just in Mayotte but across France, was not only necessary but possible,” he told Radio 1. Chenou Adding that this could be achieved through a referendum and amending the constitution.
Le Pen’s niece Marion Maréchal of the far-right Reconquista group also welcomed the news.
“It’s great that evidence that has been on the table for more than a decade has finally been admitted,” she told broadcaster BFMTV. She also believed the measure could be extended to the whole of France.
“Not life-changing”
Mayotte, located in northwestern Madagascar, became an official French province in 2011.
Thousands of Comorians fleeing poverty and corruption head to Mayotte every year in search of a higher standard of living.
The influx has created serious tensions, with many locals in Mayotte complaining of crime and poverty. Protests over insecurity and the migrant crisis have raged for weeks. A months-long water crisis has heightened tensions.
The 375-square-kilometer island is home to about 310,000 people, according to France’s National Institute of Statistics and Economic Research (INSEE), but officials say that number is a gross underestimate.
INSEE said that more than 40% of islanders survive on less than 160 euros a month. Nearly half of the island’s residents do not have French citizenship.
The residence permit issued to foreigners in Mayotte is valid only on the island and cannot be used to travel to mainland France. Abolition of the system is one of the protesters’ main demands.
Darmanin said authorities would repeal the measure as part of reforms, a move welcomed by some protesters.
France confers citizenship by descent and place of birth, although jus soli legislation has been significantly tightened over the years.
In December, the French parliament passed a tough immigration bill amid pressure from the right.
In January, France’s top constitutional authority condemned the controversial additions for sticking to the right.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
