Movement in the French Pacific: Recent Situation and Prospects

Population movements in the French Pacific territories (French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna) are discussed. The local government of French Polynesia and the French authorities have tried since the beginning of the 1980s to prevent migration to Tahiti by retaining the population on the outer islands and by encouraging return migration. In New Caledonia, though the internal migration problem has been overshadowed by political turmoil, the 1988 Matignon Agreement addresses regional development and migration. The future of movement in the French Pacific is partly linked to the political status and economic prosperity of each territory because the actual policies are very expensive and cannot be maintained without external financial assistance.