On 7 June, a fishing boat, carrying 11 Comorians capsized off the coast of Mayotte near Pointe Koungou. The 11 passengers rescued following a search operation. The group had reportedly departed from Anjouan (part the Comorian archipelago) and were intercepted by the French border police.
Risks of Migration at the Western Indian Route
The sea route between Anjouan and Mayotte, a French overseas region (also the EU’s outermost region) is one of the deadliest migrant crossing corridors in the region.
Just in 2025, at least 17 people on the move were reported dead or missing along this corridor.
Positioned strategically in the Mozambique canal with a mere 70-kilometer maritime passage to Mayotte, the Union of Comoros is a pivotal point in the migration route from the continent to Mayotte —a perilous journey embarked upon by thousands of men, women, and children in search of a better life.
Comoros is one of the poorest countries in the world while Mayotte, part of the EU.
The country faces unique challenges linked to migration and has increasingly become a transit as well as destination country. Since 2020, a growing number of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees have become stranded in Comoros, enroute to Mayotte According to a report from International Organization for Migration( IOM).
According to MMC, people who engaging migration movements along the Western Indian Route should undertake a complex journey to reach Comoros, then Mayotte. Migrants, asylum seekers travel together with the aid of smugglers and traffickers, facing exploitation along their trip.
Mayotte– The New El Dorado
Mayotte is geographically part of the Comoros archipelago and was part of France’s colonial Comoros territory. But in 1975, when Grande Comore, Mohéli and Anjouan, formed the independent republic of Comoros, the people of Mayotte chose by referendum to remain part of France.
However, Mayotte is the poorest of 101 ‘departments’ of France, it is still better off than Comoros. Hence its attraction for Comorian migrants, who risk travelling in rickety ‘kwassa-kwassa’ boats and dinghies.
In result of this, about half of Mayotte’s roughly 350 000 population is estimated to be foreign, mostly Comorian.
“The route is comprised of several (sub) routes or branches, originating in East Africa and the Great Lakes. Refugees and migrants often transit Tanzania before embarking on maritime journeys to the archipelago. Once in Comoros, most transit through the island of Anjouan to eventually reach Mayotte,” the Mixed Migration Centre wrote.
In 2025, the Comorian coast guard caught over 400 migrants. The island state lacks the capacity or the will to host large groups. Arrested individuals end up in temporary detention.
Comoros is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and does not have a comprehensive migration framework, but the Comorian government and the United Nations Migration agency are closely work together to address migration.
IOM works with the Ministry of Interior and other key border agencies. It strengthens the capacity of frontline officers. Together, IOM streamlines, coordinates, and integrates border management risk assessments and controls.
