Sentinels at the Margins: Mobility, Bordes, and Rights in the French Overseas Departments in the Indian Ocean

Abstract

For over a decade, the migration crisis affecting the European Union has had a particularly acute impact on its geographical peripheries, especially in its outermost regions. As enclaves of relative prosperity amid disadvantaged regional contexts, the Canary Islands, Mayotte, French Guiana, and other European overseas territories have become key destinations for migrants seeking to reach Europe. In these contexts, migration, intercultural interaction, and interethnic coexistence are foundational dynamics. However, anti-immigration discourses, rising insecurity, and increasing living costs are mobilizing segments of the local population. The roots of this unrest lie in persistent socio-economic disparities—both with respect to the European metropole and within the regional framework. In such settings, any additional strain can destabilize an already fragile balance and spark feelings of insecurity, fueling intolerance not only toward migrants but also toward fellow citizens from mainland Europe and other overseas departments. A notable example is the case of the Mahorais—natives of Mayotte—living in La Réunion, whose presence is less tolerated than other immigrant communities. Forced to migrate due to the difficult living conditions on their island, they continue to face stigmatization in a territory celebrated as the “island of coexistence” for its Creole multiculturalism. This paradox highlights an internal frontier in which access to mobility and rights is conditioned by historical and postcolonial dynamics. This article proposes to rethink migration, coexistence, and human rights from an internal overseas perspective, using an ethnographic and historical approach that reveals how local tensions reflect broader global patterns.