Immigrants brave deadly waters
2005-09-30 09:41
Mramani - Unmarked tombs dot the sandy Sandopoini beach here in the southeastern corner of the Indian Ocean island of Anjouan, testament to failed attempts by illegal immigrants to flee the impoverished Comoros archipelago for the nearby French territory of Mayotte.
The perilous stretch of water that varies from between 100km and 200km wide - once described as "the biggest cemetery in the Indian Ocean" - has claimed hundreds of lives, about 200 a year, according to Comoros officials.
"We bury them there, often without funerals because no one wants to foot the bill," said Toihir Bacar, who lives a short distance from Sandopoini where a makeshift graveyard christened "France" has sprung up for victims.
Comorans take great risks at sea
But thousands of Comorans seeking better lives in relatively prosperous French Mayotte still make the trip, taking to the waters in small, overcrowded and rickety fishing boats and dinghies that are prone to capsize and collapse on the high seas.
"Young people are killing themselves trying to enter Mayotte illegally because they have lost hope in making ends meet in the Comoros," said Sheikh Abdallah Sambi, a former Comoran lawmaker.
According to the World Bank, the 630 000 inhabitants of the three Comoros islands live on average family incomes of just over $1 a day with more than 50% languishing in chronic poverty blamed largely on political instability.
Since winning independence from France in 1975, the Comoros have suffered through 20 coups or attempted putsches that have severely affected potential foreign investment, trade and business opportunities.
On Mayotte, which opted to remain part of France but remains a territorial bone of contention between Paris and Moroni, life is comparatively easier for the estimated 194 000 French citizens living there in a euro-based economy.
Dreams of prosperity
Dreams of prosperity and perhaps and eventual move to mainland France have fuelled the exodus of Comorans who travel to Anjouan, the nearest island in the archipelago to Mayotte, from where they depart, officials and residents say.
"The main challenge for Comoran leaders is to fight poverty," said Sambi, lamenting a surge in human trafficking that is reaping windfall profits for unscrupulous boat owners and shady immigration agents.
Many Mayotte-bound Comorans say they were forced to make the dangerous voyage to support their families as jobs are scarce at home and employment often determined by nepotism and political connections.
"To get find a job here in Grande Comore, you always have to be backed by a politician," said 32-year-old Mariame Mze, who escaped to Mayotte and worked there as a maid, earning &euros;100 ($120) a month.
Illegal trafficking
Before tiring of eluding police and returning home after seven months, Mze had more than made back the 25 000 Comoran francs she paid the smuggler who brought her to Mayotte from Anjouan.
"It was a dangerous crossing," she recalled. "The boat could have capsized at any time because it was overloaded."
Last month, a small vessel carrying at least 25 Comorans from Anjouan to Mayotte did just that, leaving at least four people dead.
Efforts to crack down on the illegal trafficking have been hampered by collusion from some Comoran authorities who are allegedly sharing in the smugglers' lucre, according to some.
One former human trafficker-turned-police officer said security forces on semi-autonomous Anjouan are receiving large bribes to overlook frequent departures of boats carrying illegal immigrants.
"The gendarme have never stopped it," he said on condition of anonymity. "Some of them are benefiting from this activity because the smugglers regularly pay them."