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GuardianJan 30
France to Rescind Birthright Citizenship for Mayotte
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Image copyright: Christian Liewig - Corbis/Getty Images
The 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.
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.
The Spin
Left narrative
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 continues to make political decisions aimed at undermining its Muslim populations.
Right narrative
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.
