The French Government has begun the evacuation protocol for national tourists in the overseas territory of New Caledonia after days of unrest in the Pacific archipelago over an initiative, currently paralyzed, to extend the right to vote to French residents.
The tourists were transferred this Saturday to Australia and New Zealand on military planes, on a previous stopover before returning to France on commercial flights.
“The support measures for foreigners and French tourists continue”, in the first time that the French authorities refer to the situation of tourists since the outbreak of the crisis in New Caledonia, according to BFMTV.
The territory has been in a state of emergency since last week after the wave of unrest that has left seven dead and hundreds arrested and forced France to deploy additional security forces in the archipelago.
Australia and New Zealand began evacuating their residents earlier this week, while the airport in the capital, Noumea, remains closed to all commercial flights.
The protests began in response to proposed electoral reforms that would give French citizens the right to vote in provincial elections after 10 years of residence in the territory.
New Caledonia’s indigenous Kanak population, which has long campaigned for independence, accused Paris of pushing ahead with the controversial reform without considering strong opposition among the majority of the territory’s residents.
During his visit to the territory last Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the reform would be paused until the situation calms down and political talks can be resumed.