A resident is seen searching for documents in their destroyed house in a shantytown ravaged by Cyclone Chido in the city of Mamoudzou, Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean on December 31, 2024. The proposed “emergency law” for Mayotte, which was devastated by Cyclone Chido, will be presented in the next cabinet meeting and not during the one scheduled for Friday, January 3. This delay will not impact its examination in Parliament, which resumes on January 13, according to information from Matignon on Thursday. The purpose of the delay is to verify certain elements of the proposed law and continue consultations with the local elected officials in Mayotte. The new legislation is expected to incorporate several measures outlined in the “Mayotte standing” plan presented by the prime minister.
For long-term measures, the government plans to introduce another bill for the “refoundation program” of the archipelago, which will be prepared and designed in collaboration with the local officials of Mayotte and finalized within the next three months. Prime Minister François Bayrou has promised to prevent the reconstruction of shantytowns destroyed by Cyclone Chido in Mayotte without specifying where the displaced residents, one-third of the population, will be relocated. Additionally, he pledged to restore electricity to every household by the end of January with the help of extra personnel and generators. The army will assist in repairing water networks, and 200 Starlinks systems will be deployed for emergency communications. A “vigilance plan” involving the army and gendarmerie will also be proposed to monitor schools against threats of fires and looting.
The influx of irregular immigration, in which the department’s population may have increased by 100,000 to 200,000 due to undocumented immigrants, has prompted Prime Minister Bayrou to advocate for a comprehensive and precise population census. He also raised the question of revisiting birthright citizenship in Mayotte, a practice that is already restricted in the archipelago. In terms of economic measures, a “global free zone exempting all businesses from taxes for a period of five years” will be established in Mayotte. Cyclone Chido, the most destructive cyclone in Mayotte in ninety years, resulted in at least 39 deaths and over 5,600 injuries as per the latest report from the prefecture on December 14.
The delay in presenting the emergency law for Mayotte due to Cyclone Chido’s devastation will not hinder its review in Parliament, as it is set to resume activities on January 13. The additional time will be used to ensure the proposed law aligns with the input from local officials in Mayotte. The government also plans to introduce a separate bill for the refoundation program of the archipelago in collaboration with local authorities within three months. Prime Minister François Bayrou has outlined measures to prevent the rebuilding of destroyed shantytowns, restore electricity to all households, repair water networks with military assistance, and establish emergency communication systems. There will also be a proposed vigilance plan to safeguard schools from potential threats.
