Les DOM: terres de migrations

Following strong demographic growth over previous decades, the « Départements d’outremer (DOM, French overseas territories) are now going through a series of different transformations. Whilst the populations of La Réunion island and French Guyana are still increasing, this is not the case for the French Caribbean islands, whose growth is slower than for mainland France as a whole.This article is based on an original study of the determinants and components of this demographic growth, as well on the variations between the four territories. The consequences of migration on changes in the composition of these populations (age, sex, geographical origin) are highlighted.Migration has always, since the beginning of colonisation, played a determining role in population changes in these territories. Colonisation was initially motivated by economic imperatives and this trait remains an essential component of the social and demographic dynamics of these regions. The emigration to mainland France of an important proportion of the working age population, notably the most highly-educated, is largely explained by economic motives.The effects of the criss-cross movements of emigrants, returnees and new arrivals in the overseas territories are assessed using census data for the territories and mainland France. However, since the census only gives a partial view of the migration phenomenon, we conducted a specific survey Migration, Family and Ageing (MFV). This survey will give access, for the very first time, to a thorough knowledge of the dynamics underlying these movements, notably those of “return migrants” after a long stay in mainland France.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-ND

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