France Eyes DR Congo As Top Mayotte Asylum Group

France is turning its attention to the Democratic Republic of Congo as Congolese nationals have become the largest group of asylum seekers in Mayotte, the French archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The situation has frustrated the French government, which has threatened to use the controversial 'bonus-malus system for development aid' as a response to the migration flow. The measure, which would adjust development assistance based on a country's cooperation on migration, has been floated as a tool to pressure Kinshasa.

No further details on the timeline or specific conditions of the threat were provided in the report. The development marks a shift in France's focus on migration in Mayotte, where the government has previously sought to curb arrivals from other neighboring countries in the region.