France to Rescind Birthright Citizenship for Mayotte

Facts

• French Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, has announced the 'radical decision' to remove birthplace French citizenship from the island of Mayotte. The policy is intended to remove the 'attractiveness' of further immigration to the Indian Ocean territory.¹
• Darmanin revealed the policy while visiting Mayotte alongside Minister Delegate for Overseas, Marie Guévenoux, as part of a wider response to self-described security, water, and migration crises on the island.²
• On X, formerly known as Twitter, Darmanin claimed that 'exceptional situations' required 'exceptional measures' – while further announcing a restriction on family reunifications, the end of territorialized visas, and the 'drastic restriction' of residence permits in Mayotte.³
• Mayotte saw its population increase by over 400% between 1985-2017, and almost 47% of children born on the island in 2021 had two parents who were not French.⁴
• The island voted to remain part of France in 1973 and became a French 'department' in 2011. The territory is the poorest French region, with France's National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies estimating over 40% to live on less than €160/month (~US$173).⁵
• The news comes as France passed a new immigration bill in Dec. 2023 tightening immigration policy, with some stipulations of the legislation — including the introduction of immigration quotas — being annulled by France's Constitutional Council.⁶

Sources: ¹France 24 (a), ²Ministère de l'Intérieur, ³twitter.com, ⁴RFI, ⁵Le Monde.fr and ⁶France 24 (b).

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by english.almayadeen.net. With the vast majority of Mayotte's population being Muslim, often reaching the territory from neighboring islands in search of a better life, the decision to restrict eligibility for French citizenship is a glimpse into the country's rampant Islamophobia. Mayotte's stark reality is representative of France's history of racism and colonialism, as the French state continued to make political decisions aimed at undermining its Muslim populations.
• Right narrative, as provided by Le Figaro. Mayotte has been failed by France, and the island has consequently experienced an avalanche of immigration that far exceeds a sustainable reality. Mayotte's continued stream of migrants continues to instigate crisis after crisis, and so far the state has done little to protect its French citizens. Those who enter Mayotte to take advantage of the French system must be swiftly addressed, or else it will not be long before they set foot on European shores.