Dembeni
Dembeni: Rural Grande-Terre commune in France's poorest department, 4% annual population growth, post-Cyclone Chido reconstruction challenges.
Dembeni is a commune on Grande-Terre, Mayotte's larger island, positioned in the island's rural center away from the coastal development pressures that define Mamoudzou. As France's poorest department navigates the aftermath of Cyclone Chido (December 2024)—which devastated informal settlements housing tens of thousands of undocumented migrants from nearby Comoros—interior communes like Dembeni face acute infrastructure deficits. With Mayotte's population exceeding 320,000 (estimated 100,000 undocumented), and growth rates of 4% annually (France's highest), even rural areas experience pressure on water systems, schools, and healthcare. The commune's economy rests on subsistence agriculture and French fiscal transfers that constitute over 50% of Mayotte's GDP. France's 2024 constitutional amendment ending birthright citizenship for children of undocumented migrants represents a fundamental shift in demographic policy. By 2026, Dembeni's trajectory depends on whether reconstruction funds reach interior areas or concentrate in the capital, and whether migration controls actually reduce population pressure.