Australians planning a South Pacific holiday in New Caledonia have been advised not to do so due to ongoing tensions and crime on the island.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade updated its advice on Tuesday, urging Australians to avoid unnecessary travel to the French archipelago as arson and carjackings continue and civil unrest rages.
The department warned that political protests planned in the run-up to elections could quickly turn violent.
“Demonstrations and protests may increase in the run-up to a national holiday on September 24,” the department’s update said Smart Storyteller read the site.
These warnings come despite increased police and security presence in the region.
The national curfew will be tightened between September 21 and 24 and will apply between 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM.
The curfew is currently from 10pm to 5am.
The department urged Australians currently in New Caledonia to avoid demonstrations and public gatherings and to follow the advice of local authorities.
Holidaymakers have been warned to ‘reconsider’ their need to travel to New Caledonia
The paradise island was hit by protests and riots in May after a French election plan
DFAT fears tensions that arose in May could become dangerous in the run-up to a national day
“Please reconsider your travel to New Caledonia due to ongoing unrest and travel disruptions,” the site warned.
Historic political tensions between the indigenous Kanak people and the French ruling authorities reached a peak in May when French President Emmanuel Macron introduced electoral reforms.
The government wanted to extend provincial voting rights to French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for more than 10 years.
This would give 24,000 people in the area the right to vote. Nearly 40 percent of the population consists of Kanak.
However, the government’s now-suspended ambitions have caused discontent among locals, who assumed that the measure would reduce Kanak voters.
Many feared the plan would hamper the New Caledonian independence movement, plunging the island into chaos and protest.
In May, activists clashed with police, sparking civil wars that have not yet fully ended.
Houses, cars and public buildings were set on fire in prolonged riots, further fueled by the arrest of pro-independence leaders.
The French government attempted to reform electoral processes in the area, which led to riots
Ten people have reportedly died in the conflict and many tourists have left the islands.
Australian tourists were among the group of stranded travellers in May when a state of emergency was declared in New Caledonia and commercial flights were halted.
The New Caledonia Chamber of Commerce estimates that the island has suffered around $1 billion in losses and damages since the beginning of the crisis.
In some suburbs, residents have witnessed barricades hastily erected in their streets.