Destructive Cyclone Chido unearths a rift between locals and migrants in France’s Mayotte
LA TimesWhen Cyclone Chido ravaged Mayotte’s fragile infrastructure, it also exposed deep-seated tensions between the island’s residents and its large migrant population. According to the French statistics agency INSEE, around three-quarters of Mayotte’s population live in poverty, with a median annual disposable income just one-eighth that of the Paris metropolitan area. “The problems of Mayotte cannot be solved without addressing illegal immigration,” French President Emmanuel Macron said during his testy visit last week, acknowledging the challenges posed by the island’s rapid population growth. A 2023 parliamentary report cited in French media warned that the island was a “ticking time bomb,” while suggesting redistributing part of Mayotte’s migrant population to mainland France — a proposal unlikely to gain widespread support.