“We sleep on carpets stretched on stones”, says a woman expelled from a “banga” in Mayotte

Time for a first assessment for Operation Wuambushu in Mayotte: the Minister of the Interior spent the weekend in the 101st French department. Gérald Darmanin announced that this operation (“resumption” in Mahorais) aimed at combating illegal immigration and insecurity was going to be extended for a month. Part of the reinforcements sent from mainland France will therefore remain in place. The Minister also took stock of the decasings, these operations of destruction of the “bangas”, these slums which number in the thousands in Mayotte.

>> Operation Wuambushu in Mayotte: a month after the demolition of the Talus 2 slum, its former inhabitants live “scattered” and “hopeless”

But these “decasages” pose a problem: if some of the evicted inhabitants are entitled to rehousing solutions, however, two thirds of them prefer to decline, and continue to live in slums.

New in 20 square meters

A month ago on this hill of ocher earth, there was Adidja’s tin house. There is nothing today. Adidja now lives in a house under construction a hundred meters from the hill with her husband and three children: “Before, I had a comfortable house, each child had his room”, she explains. Today, “We sleep on rugs stretched out on pebbles and the children suffer from it”regretting the “electricity meter”, THE “water meter”, and even wifi” of his old house. “Here, there is nothing: no TV, nothing.” Adidja is Comorian and has a residence permit: a rehousing solution was offered to her in Tsundzu, but she refused.

In Tsundzu, those who have accepted this rehousing solution live in small brand new bungalows, like Ahmed, also Comorian. Here they are nine in 20 square meters. Leaving the slum, Ahmed was only allowed to take a suitcase with some belongings and a mattress.

“We lost everything in the demolition. I had goats and a lot of things. There are a lot of things we miss”

Ahmed, a relocated Comorian

At franceinfo

He also misses his wife: she is in an irregular situation and therefore cannot come here.

“Legal Tourism”

The initial objective of destroying a thousand homes will be exceeded by the end of the year, according to the authorities on site: Gérald Darmanin said on Sunday June 25 that he was counting on the destruction of approximately “1,250“unsanitary housing in Mayotte from here”the end of the year“.”We will accelerate (…). This componenthe told the Figaro, has been delayed due to the large number of appeals. I would have liked those who came to do legal tourism in Mayotte to visit the bangas, unsanitary places where the children have no running water, where if there was a cyclone, we would all have cried over the very many deaths there would have been here“, he denounced. Before insisting: “What is important, insisted the minister, is the destruction of unsanitary housing and regaining control of the land.“.

The minister also said he was concerned about “develop tourism“in the 101st French department, noting that”there is no reason that Mayotte is not a very beautiful place of tourist destination“. He promised to return in September.