Why France is Ending Birth Citizenship in its African Territory
Summary
TLDRThe French government is proposing constitutional reforms to end birthright citizenship in Mayotte due to unrest blamed on increased migration from neighboring Comoros. Despite being poorer than mainland France, Mayotte's association has made it wealthier than its neighbors, attracting migrants seeking French citizenship through birth on French soil. The new rule, requiring at least one French parent for citizenship, is controversial, with the right supporting it but wanting it extended to all of France, while the left sees it as an attack on nationality.
Takeaways
- 🌐 Mayotte, an overseas region of France, is facing a constitutional reform to end birthright citizenship.
- 📉 The decision comes amidst months of unrest blamed on increased migration from neighboring Comoros.
- 🏝️ Mayotte is an island archipelago located off the coast of Southeastern Africa, about 5,000 miles from mainland France.
- 🗳️ Mayotte voted in favor of full integration with France in 2009, becoming an overseas department in 2011.
- 🏦 Despite being poorer than mainland France, Mayotte's GDP per capita is double that of Comoros, attracting migrants.
- 🚫 The new rule would require a child to have at least one French parent to be eligible for French citizenship.
- 💧 Mayotte is experiencing its worst drought since 1997, exacerbating tensions and straining public services.
- 👶 Birthright citizenship allows children born in France to become naturalized citizens at age 13, subject to certain conditions.
- 🤔 The reform aims to appease the French right and local Mayotte citizens who believe immigration is causing the crisis.
- 🔄 The policy has sparked controversy, with some advocating for its expansion to all of France and others calling it an attack on nationality.
Q & A
What is the main issue being addressed in the video?
-The video addresses the proposed constitutional reform in France to end the practice of birthright citizenship in the overseas region of Mayotte, in response to unrest and concerns about immigration from neighboring Comoros.
Where is Mayotte located, and what is its political status with France?
-Mayotte is an island archipelago off the southeastern coast of Africa, about 5,000 miles away from mainland France. Despite this distance, it remains an overseas department and region of France, fully integrated into the European Union as a special territory since 2014.
Why is Mayotte experiencing unrest and what are some of its current challenges?
-Mayotte is facing unrest due to migration flows from neighboring Comoros, which many residents blame for straining resources and services. The region also faces a severe drought, with minimal access to drinking water, and significant poverty, with 75% of the population living below France's relative poverty line.
What is France's current birthright citizenship policy?
-In France, a child born on French soil may become a naturalized French citizen starting at age 13, subject to residence conditions, and automatically upon turning 18, if they have lived in France for at least 5 years since age 11. This policy applies even if neither parent is French.
What change is being proposed for Mayotte regarding birthright citizenship?
-French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced a proposed constitutional reform that would end birthright citizenship in Mayotte. Under this reform, children born in Mayotte would only be eligible for French citizenship if at least one parent is French.
What justifications have been given for the proposed reform?
-The proposed reform aims to reduce the attractiveness of Mayotte for prospective immigrants and address concerns from both the French right and local Mayotte citizens, who feel that the current citizenship rules are being abused and that high levels of immigration are contributing to the region's challenges.
How have different political groups in France responded to the proposed reform?
-The French right, including Marine Le Pen's National Rally and the Republicans, have generally supported the reform, with some calling for it to be extended across all of France. However, the left, including the Socialists, Greens, and France Unbowed, oppose the measure, seeing it as an attack on the concept of nationality.
Why is the reform considered controversial?
-The reform is controversial because it applies only to Mayotte, creating a divide between the region and mainland France. This goes against the principle that overseas departments like Mayotte should be treated the same as any other French region.
What are some of the broader concerns about migration across the EU mentioned in the video?
-The video mentions growing anxieties about migration across the EU, citing the deal signed by the EU, Spain, and Mauritania to reduce migration to the Canary Islands, which, like Mayotte, is a special territory of the EU. These concerns reflect broader European debates on immigration.
How has Mayotte's population grown in recent decades, and what is driving this growth?
-Mayotte's population has grown from 67,000 in 1985 to around 300,000 today, with migration from neighboring Comoros being a major factor. The region’s higher GDP per capita compared to its neighbors has made it an attractive destination for migrants.
Outlines
🇫🇷 French Government's Proposed Birthright Citizenship Reform for Mayotte
The French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced a new constitutional reform that would end birthright citizenship for the French overseas region of Mayotte. This announcement follows months of unrest on the island, which many citizens attribute to increased migration from neighboring Comoros. The reform is aimed at addressing concerns from both Mayotte citizens and the French right-wing about the abuse of the current birthright citizenship rules. The video explores the ongoing crisis in Mayotte, the proposed reforms, and their controversial reception in France. A broader explanation of Mayotte and France’s birthright citizenship rules is promised in the discussion.
🏝️ Mayotte’s Unique History and Relationship with France
Mayotte, an island archipelago located off the coast of Southeastern Africa, chose to remain with France after neighboring Comoros gained independence in 1974. Though initially granted autonomy with special laws reflecting its Muslim-majority population, Mayotte voted overwhelmingly for full integration with France in 2009. By 2011, Mayotte became an overseas department, and in 2014, it was fully integrated into the EU. Despite its union with France, Mayotte remains significantly poorer, with a large portion of its population living below France’s poverty line. Economic disparities, coupled with a high fertility rate, have placed a strain on public services, worsened by a severe drought affecting water supplies.
📈 Immigration and Population Growth in Mayotte
Mayotte’s integration into France has attracted substantial migration from Comoros due to its relatively higher GDP per capita. The population has grown dramatically, with official numbers reaching 300,000, though actual figures may be much higher. Migration is driven by France's birthright citizenship policy, which allows children born on French soil to gain citizenship under certain conditions. This has led to concerns that immigrants are exploiting the law by having children in Mayotte, knowing they could eventually become French citizens. Many young Mayotte-born residents also leave for mainland France, and a large portion of the population lacks French nationality.
🛑 Changes to French Citizenship Rules in Mayotte
Interior Minister Darmanin announced that non-French parents would no longer be able to secure French citizenship for their children born in Mayotte. This proposed constitutional reform, requiring either a referendum or a 60% parliamentary majority, is aimed at curbing immigration to the island. The reform aligns with concerns from the French right about immigration and has garnered support from Mayotte’s citizens, many of whom blame immigration for their region's troubles. The reform reflects growing anxieties about migration across Europe and is seen as part of France's broader efforts to manage immigration, as evidenced by recent anti-immigration policies targeting the Canary Islands.
🇫🇷 Political Reactions to the Mayotte Citizenship Reform
The proposed policy to limit birthright citizenship in Mayotte has sparked controversy across France. Right-wing parties such as Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and the Republicans, led by Éric Ciotti, support the reform but argue that it should apply across all of France, not just Mayotte. On the left, parties like the Socialists and Greens oppose the measure, viewing it as an attack on the concept of nationality. Despite differing views, both sides are uncomfortable with Mayotte being treated differently from other French regions, raising concerns about the equality of regions under the law.
🎥 Nebula and the China Actually Series
The video ends by promoting Nebula, a streaming service that hosts educational content created by a variety of independent creators. One of its standout series, 'China Actually,' provides a nuanced perspective on topics like China's one-child policy and its nuclear policy. By signing up for Nebula, viewers gain access to ad-free content and support the production of more in-depth, documentary-style projects. The promotion encourages viewers to join with a discounted subscription while supporting the creators and the development of new content on the platform.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Birthright citizenship
💡Mayotte
💡Constitutional reform
💡Unrest
💡Migration flows
💡Jus soli
💡Jus sanguinis
💡Overseas departments
💡Poverty rate
💡Drought
💡Immigration policy
Highlights
French government plans constitutional reform to end birthright citizenship in Mayotte.
Unrest in Mayotte blamed on migration flows from neighboring Comoros.
Mayotte, an island archipelago, remains with France despite its distance.
Mayotte allowed to have its own regional laws post-independence.
95% of Mayotte citizens voted for full integration with France in 2009.
Mayotte's economy is significantly poorer than Metropolitan France.
Mayotte experiencing its worst drought since 1997, affecting access to drinking water.
Migration from Comoros to Mayotte due to economic disparity.
France's birthright citizenship policy allows children born in France to become naturalized citizens.
Birthright citizenship policy is more prevalent in the anglosphere.
New rule in Mayotte requires at least one French parent for citizenship.
Reform aims to reduce immigration and appease the French right.
Measures taken to address high levels of immigration similar to EU-Morania deal.
Controversy over the policy being applied only to Mayotte and not all of France.
Left-wing parties in France oppose the measure as an attack on nationality.
The policy creates a divide between Mayotte and the rest of France.
Nebula's series 'China Actually' explores the truth behind Chinese news.
Nebula offers smart educational content and supports TODR's documentaries.
Transcripts
this video was brought to you by nebula
on Sunday French interior Minister
jarard darina announced that the
government would be introducing a
constitutional reform to end the
practice of Birthright citizenship for
the French overseas region of mayot this
comes after months of unrest on the
archipelago which many myot citizens
blame on accelerating migration flows
from the neighboring koros which has in
turn created an anxiety on the French
right that mayot birth citizenship rules
are being abused so in this video we're
going to take a look at the ongoing
crisis in myot the proposed reforms and
why they've proved so controversial in
[Music]
France before we start if you haven't
already please consider subscribing and
ringing the bell to stay in the loop and
be notified when we release new videos
so to understand this story you need to
know a bit about both myot and and
France's Birthright citizenship rules
let's start with myot now we should say
that we actually did a full video on
myot and its current crisis over on the
tldr global Channel a couple of months
ago so go and watch that if you want to
know more but the TIR is that myot is an
island archipelago that lies off the
coast of Southeastern Africa roughly
5,000 Mi away from what's sometimes
called Metropolitan France I.E Mainland
France now despite this distance myot
decided to remain with France after
moros the archipelago just west of myot
declared its independence via a
referendum in
1974 now at the time mayot wasn't fully
integrated with France and was allowed
to have its own Regional laws to protect
local Traditions such as polygamy and
Islamic courts as myot is majority
Muslim however during the 2007
presidential election campaign would be
president Nicholas sarosi proposed a
referendum on full integration which was
duly held in 2009 9 an overwhelming 95%
majority of myot citizens voted in favor
of full integration so in 2011 mayot
became an overseas Department of France
before becoming fully integrated into
the EU as one of its so-called special
territories in
2014 today France has five overseas
departments French Guyana guadaloop
Martinique reunion and mayot with each
overseas Department being the sole
Department in its own overseas region
which means that each territory gets to
elect Regional councils with powers
similar to that of the 13 regions of
Metropolitan France now myot has always
been significantly poorer than
Metropolitan France 75% of the
population live below France's relative
poverty rate and the very high fertility
rate of about five children per woman
has put immense strain on myot public
services unfortunately things are
especially bad right now because the ter
territory is experiencing its worst
drought since
1997 residents have minimal or no access
to drinking water since September and
its Hillside reservoirs are at
capacities of 7 and 6% respectively
according to a report from the mayot
state government a couple of months ago
however even though myot is poorer than
Metropolitan France political union with
France has nonetheless made it wealthier
than its neighbors for context myot
today has a GDP per capita of about
$3,000
roughly double that of koros and this
has encouraged migration from koros into
mayot helping mot's population to grow
from 67,000 in 1985 to an official
figure of about 300,000 today although
unofficial estimates suggest that the
true figure is actually much higher
additionally many young people who are
born in myot then leave for Metropolitan
France which means that something like
half of mot's population don't actually
have French frch nationality one of the
other reasons that these migrants from
koros are so Keen to get into myot is
because of France's Birthright
citizenship policy for context even if
neither parent is French a child born on
French soil may become a naturalized
French citizen from age 13 subject to
Residence conditions and automatically
upon turning 18 providing that they
reside in France on their 18th birthday
and have had their primary residence in
France for a period of at least 5 years
since the age of 11 this means that even
if they're not French migrants into myot
who have a baby there know that their
kid has a good chance of becoming a
French citizen this practice of
Birthright citizenship orbe it
restricted in the French case is known
as Yi which translates to right of the
soil Yi stands in contrast to us
sanguinus which translates to right of
blood where nationality is determined
not by where you're born but by the
nationality of one or both of your
parents today most countries use a
combination of USI and us sanguinus but
because USI has its origins in English
common law while us sanguinus has its
origins in Roman law US policies are
generally more prevalent in the
anglosphere including countries like
Australia Canada and the US well US
sanguinist policies are more prevalent
in Europe but the French policy leans
more towards youi than other European
countries anyway this apparently all
changed on Sunday when interor Minister
Gerald Dara announced that in myot it
will no longer be possible to become
French if you're not the child of a
French parent now this new rule would be
considered a constitutional reform and
would therefore require either a
referendum or a parliamentary super
majority of 60% of MPS in justifying
what he admitted was a radical decision
darhar added that the measure would
reduce the attractiveness of the
archipelago for prospective immigrants
this measure was also aimed to bate both
the French right who feel that French
citizenship laws are being abused in
some sense and local myot citizens who
generally blame the current crisis on
high levels of immigration this is
partly why during the French
presidential election in 2022 Marine Le
Pen registered her highest first round
score in myot and citizens were
overwhelmingly supportive of operation
takeback an anti-immigration security
policy for myot introduced by the French
government in April 2023 it's also
similar in a sense to the deal signed by
the EU Spain and morania last week to
reduce immigration from morania to the
Canary Islands which are like myot one
of the eu's special territories outside
of Mainland Europe and a symptom of the
growing anxieties about migration across
acoss the EU anyway this policy has
caused quite a storm in France on the
right both Marine leen's National rally
and the Republicans who are now being
led by the more right-wing Eric shotti
said that while they welcomed the
measure they thought that the measure
should be extended throughout all of
France not just myot while on the left
the Socialists greens and France unbowed
all said that they opposed the measure
with the leader of France Unbound
describing it as an attack on the very
concept of nationality the foundation of
the Republic what both the left and
right apparently agree on however is
that the application of the new law to
only myot creates an uncomfortable
divide between the rest of France and
myot even though it's meant to be
treated exactly the same as any other
French region as a dodr viewer I can
pretty confidently say that you're
curious about the world around you Keen
to know what's really going on rather
than just the general media narrative
and one country where this is
particularly interesting is China where
a lot of media coverage can be muddled
or misleading if you want to dive deeper
though I'd recommend poly's incredible
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