- Title: France's Macron arrives in Indian Ocean, discusses illegal immigration
- Date: 22nd October 2019
- Summary: PAMANDZI, MAYOTTE, FRANCE (OCTOBER 22, 2019) (AGENCY POOL) VARIOUS OF FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL PLANE ARRIVING AT AIRPORT PLANE ON TARMAC FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, WALKING DOWN STEPS MACRON STANDING IN FRONT OF TROOPS FOR FRENCH NATIONAL ANTHEM, "LA MARSEILLAISE" VARIOUS OF MACRON REVIEWING TROOPS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING: "The second objective is obviously to review the 'Shikandra' measures we implemented to fight against illegal immigration. A lot of work has been done these past months, we have now deployed a civil-military unit, which mobilises several forces from our army, like our soldiers, our sailors, as well as the police and the gendarmerie, with various means that are also available. And along with the ministers, we are going to review all this and take a look at the efficiency of these measures, of which the objective is to make 25,000 deportations of illegal immigrants who today are on the island, the islands." VARIOUS OF MACRON GREETING LOCAL OFFICIALS MACRON GREETING CADETS, PART OF CIVIL-MILITARY OPERATION ON THE WAY TO MAMOUDZOU, MAYOTTE, FRANCE (OCTOBER 22, 2019) (AGENCY POOL) VARIOUS OF MACRON ON GENDARMERIE SPEED BOAT MAMOUDZOU SEEN IN DISTANCE VARIOUS OF MACRON ON SPEED BOAT MAMOUDZOU, MAYOTTE, FRANCE (OCTOBER 22, 2019) (AGENCY POOL) PEOPLE WAITING FOR MACRON TO ARRIVE MACRON ARRIVING WITH FRENCH INTERIOR MINSTER, CHRISTOPHE CASTANER AND MAMOUDZOU MAYOR, MOHAMED MAJANI AND GREETING LOCAL OFFICIALS VARIOUS OF MACRON GREETING LOCAL OFFICIALS VARIOUS OF CROWD WAITING FOR MACRON AND HOLDING WELCOME SIGNS
- Embargoed: 5th November 2019 08:56
- Keywords: Mayotte French island Indian Ocean Emmanuel Macron illegal immigration French overseas territories
- Location: PAMANDZI AND MAMOUDZOU, MAYOTTE, FRANCE
- City: PAMANDZI AND MAMOUDZOU, MAYOTTE, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B26IOUF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: President Emmanuel Macron began the first phase of his trip to France's overseas territories as he arrived on the French Indian Ocean island of Mayotte on Tuesday (October 22) to discuss illegal immigration and economic development.
Upon arriving at Mayotte's airport, Macron said he would review the measures of the "Shikandra" civil-military operation aimed at quelling illegal immigration to the island, of which nearly half the population is made up of foreigners many of whom arrived illegally.
Macron faces an electoral threat from rivals on the populist right and is under pressure to crack down on migration.
Mayotte is a former French colony that voted against independence in referenda in 1974 and 1976. It stayed French, with a status allowing legal differences from the mainland. In March 2009, Mayotte's people voted overwhelmingly to become a full-fledged part of France.
The ties with mainland France have kept Mayotte richer and more stable than the coup-prone Indian Ocean state of Comoros, and many Comorians try to immigrate to Mayotte, which has begun deporting some of them.
Comoros considers Mayotte, 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Mozambique and 300 km west of Madagascar, part of its archipelago.
Macron will also head to the islands of Glorioso and Reunion as part of his overseas visit.
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