Insecurity and crime, the challenges of overseas departments

Nora Voisin 12:55 p.m., March 25, 2024

Riots and fires in Fort-de-France, a shopkeeper shot dead in Pointe-à-Pitre or even a municipal agent victim of an attack with weapons in Guyana… The situation is deteriorating in the overseas departments. These actions, brutal to say the least, took place in the month of March alone. And while urban violence has increased in recent days across Guadeloupe, the mayor of the department's capital has even threatened to "put his apron back on" in the face of a lack of resources.

“A third of the murders committed in Martinique are linked to settling scores”

In overseas territories, the number of homicides and attacks is much higher than in mainland France. The rate of firearm thefts, significantly higher than the national average (0.1 theft per 1,000 inhabitants), is explained in particular by the high circulation of weapons. In Martinique, there are nearly 0.6 armed robberies per 1,000 inhabitants, 1.3 per 1,000 in Guadeloupe, 2.5 per 1,000 in Mayotte and even 3 armed robberies per 1,000 inhabitants in Guyana.

“A third of the murders committed in Martinique are linked to settling scores” against a backdrop of drug trafficking, declared Clarisse Taron, public prosecutor of Fort-de-France last December. The overseas territories are the main gateway for cocaine into France, thanks in particular to transport by sea due to the proximity of the departments to the three major producing countries of Colombia, Peru and the Bolivia.

Mayotte, a department in crisis

In Mayotte, the growth of insecurity and the problem of illegal immigration even gave rise to social movements which paralyzed the island for several weeks. The last blockades were only lifted at the beginning of this month. This department, the youngest and poorest in France, demanded the end of territorialized stay, a specificity specific to the island where almost a third of the population does not have French nationality according to INSEE. The resulting visa confines its holders to the archipelago, not allowing them to travel to another French department.

Close to the Comoros and Madagascar, Mayotte is subject to numerous migratory pressures. When its inhabitants reach the age of majority, half of them have no prospects of study or employment. In addition, the increase in expulsions has increased the number of unaccompanied minors, some of whom become delinquent, joining gangs with a view to survival.

Guyana, a special case

The particularity of Guyana is its continentality. Almost as large as Portugal, it shares a border of 730 km with Brazil and another of 510 km with Suriname: significant distances and difficult to control. Immigration as well as arms and drug trafficking are therefore facilitated, as is illegal gold panning, another problematic source of crime on which the President of the Republic is expected to take a firm stand over the next two days.

Six years after a first visit to the department where he declared "not to be Santa Claus" in response to a question about the creation of a hospital, those overseas are still denouncing a lack of consideration. Marie Guévenoux, who arrived at the Ministry of Overseas Territories last February, is the fourth holder of the position in twenty months. “In this government, there are no overseas nationals” lamented the LIOT deputy from Guadeloupe, Olivier Serva. “It is, to say the least, disinterest and […] rather contempt.”