An aerial view of the destroyed Passmainty slum in the suburbs of Mamoudzou, the capital of the French territory of Mayotte island. — ©2025 The New York Times Company
AFTER a vicious cyclone razed slums housing many immigrants on the French island territory of Mayotte last month, Safina Soula did not shed a tear.
As the leader of an advocacy organisation representing people from Mayotte, Soula staunchly supported an operation that French authorities started in 2023 to destroy the slums and deport immigrants in the country illegally, most of whom come from the nearby Comoros islands.
