The Australian and New Zealand governments have commenced evacuation flights for their citizens based in New Caledonia due to ongoing protests and political turmoil in the French territory. The previous week has witnessed severe incidents leading to at least four fatalities, nearly 200 arrests, and an unknown number of injuries. The evacuations started on Tuesday, with the first flights already having safely arrived.
According to New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, the situation in New Caledonia continues to evolve dynamically. New Zealand is actively collaborating with the French authorities, as well as other partners – Australia in particular, to understand the actions required to guarantee the safety of their nationals in the region.
Mirroring these efforts, Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong, also announced the authorization of two assisted-departure flights out of New Caledonia. The first flight arrived in Brisbane on Tuesday. Australia is urging its citizens in New Caledonia to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs. Wong’s recent post on X shows the first 108 Australians safely arriving. She also stated that, according to the French authorities, evacuation flights for foreign tourists would commence soon.
These events follow the controversial declaration of a state of emergency by French President Emmanuel Macron. This followed the violent outcome of a proposed constitutional amendment allowing French residents – those who have lived in New Caledonia for a minimum of 10 years – to vote in local elections. The predominant fear is that this may lead to further marginalisation of the indigenous Kanak people.
The Associated Press reported that Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to travel to New Caledonia later on Tuesday.
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