The Comoros prohibited on 24 April the docking of the boat carrying migrants from the French department of Mayotte.

Moroni is protesting against the operation launched by the French authorities against illegal migrants. Half of the 350,000 inhabitants of Mayotte are foreigners. Most of them are Comorians. The Comoros consider these expulsions illegal, even though no agreement has been reached with France.

The country's maritime services company also said the port of Mutsamudu was suspending passenger traffic from Monday until Wednesday.

The French authorities say they regret Moroni's decision.

''We take note of the closure of the port of Anjouan by the Comorian authorities for works. I regret that this morning we had a boat that was able to leave with 60 people on board who had paid their ticket. Because with the Comoros we have common interests, we have exchanges every day. ... What we hope is that in the dialogue we are establishing with the Comoros, we can resume these rotations quickly and have these rotations, we will say, in a normal mode," said Thierry Suquet, Prefect of Mayotte.

On Friday, the French interior minister confirmed that the operation would take place, without giving a date. None of the expelled migrants will enter our ports," replied his Comorian counterpart.