The French President spoke to Comoros President Azali Assoumani, the Elysee Palace reported.
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Posted on 03/18/2023 20:48
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French President Emmanuel Macron during the national round table on diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris, March 16, 2023. (MICHEL EULER / AFP)
Emmanuel Macron, on Saturday March 18, during an interview with Comoros President Azali Assoumani, “expressed his concerns about the social and security situation in Mayotte,” the Elysée reported. The two heads of state “agreed to continue cooperation in the fight against illegal immigration, both in terms of deportation and preventing departure,” according to a press release.
Many African and Comorian migrants secretly try to reach Mayotte every year, half of whose population is made up of foreigners. Since 2019, the French state has significantly increased its means of combating this illegal immigration, notably through the constant presence at sea of intercept boats and aerial surveillance. During a visit to Mayotte in December, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin expressed his desire to step up the fight.
Azali Assoumani took over as head of the African Union (AU) a month ago, on which Emmanuel Macron “congratulated” him. “The two Presidents reaffirmed their common desire to continue the implementation of the agenda of the Europe-Africa Summit of February 2022,” continues the Elysée. This summit ended with the desire to rebuild the partnership between Europe and Africa with an investment package of more than 150 billion euros to meet the common challenges of the two continents, especially in terms of ecological transition.
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