Islands of the Moon
The first part of this story looks at the culture and society of the Comoro Islands, which lie in the Western Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Mozambique, and are one of the world's least visited nations. Home to less than a million people, the Comoros produce around 80% of the world's supply of ylang-ylang essential oil, much of which is exported to Paris for the luxury perfume market. The nation is also famed for its wedding culture, with 'grand marriage' celebrations frequently lasting up to two weeks and costing tens of thousands of euros.
The second part of the story looks at a deadly but little known migration crisis between two of the islands, Mayotte and Anjouan, which are separated by only 40 miles of sea. They share same language, faith and ethnicity, and their populations have been intertwined through family links for hundreds of years. But in 1974, the colonial power, France, split the islands apart, keeping Mayotte for itself while Anjouan, along with two other nearby islands, became the independent nation of the Comoros. Thanks to French and EU funding and poor governance in the Comoros, the average income on Mayotte is now more than ten times greater than on Anjouan.
As a result, migration on a massive scale has been unfolding between the two. Up to 50,000 Comorians have drowned, their boats capsizing in the attempt to reach French soil. Those that make it to their destination live shadow lives, unable to legally work and stuck in fetid slums in permanent fear of the French police. Nearly half Mayotte’s population is now thought to be foreign, and 70% of new births on the island are from Comorian parents. Anti-immigrant sentiment is spiralling amid fears of rising crime and frustration at overburdened public services, leading to strikes and vigilantism. In 2019, the French territory sought to deport a staggering 30,000 people, more than a tenth of the entire island’s population.
The first part of this story looks at the culture and society of the Comoro Islands, which lie in the Western Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Mozambique, and are one of the world's least visited nations. Home to less than a million people, the Comoros produce around 80% of the world's supply of ylang-ylang essential oil, much of which is exported to Paris for the luxury perfume market. The nation is also famed for its wedding culture, with 'grand marriage' celebrations frequently lasting up to two weeks and costing tens of thousands of euros.
The second part of the story looks at a deadly but little known migration crisis between two of the islands, Mayotte and Anjouan, which are separated by only 40 miles of sea. They share same language, faith and ethnicity, and their populations have been intertwined through family links for hundreds of years. But in 1974, the colonial power, France, split the islands apart, keeping Mayotte for itself while Anjouan, along with two other nearby islands, became the independent nation of the Comoros. Thanks to French and EU funding and poor governance in the Comoros, the average income on Mayotte is now more than ten times greater than on Anjouan.
As a result, migration on a massive scale has been unfolding between the two. Up to 50,000 Comorians have drowned, their boats capsizing in the attempt to reach French soil. Those that make it to their destination live shadow lives, unable to legally work and stuck in fetid slums in permanent fear of the French police. Nearly half Mayotte’s population is now thought to be foreign, and 70% of new births on the island are from Comorian parents. Anti-immigrant sentiment is spiralling amid fears of rising crime and frustration at overburdened public services, leading to strikes and vigilantism. In 2019, the French territory sought to deport a staggering 30,000 people, more than a tenth of the entire island’s population.