2024 New Caledonia unrest

New Caledonia is a French overseas territory in the southwest Pacific.^[30] It has a population of about 270,000; with the indigenous Kanak people constituting, according to the 2019 census, 41% of the population, the Europeans (Caldoche and metropolitan French) 28%, those of mixed race 11%, with other ethnic minorities (including Wallisians, Tahitians, Polynesians Ni-Vanuatu, Indonesians, Vietnamese and Chinese) constituting the remainder.^[31][32] New Caledonia became a French overseas territory in 1946 and has representatives in both houses of the French Parliament, while the President of France serves as the territory's head of state. France maintains jurisdiction over New Caledonia's justice system, defense, and internal security.^[33]

In 1988, following widespread political violence between Caldoches and indigenous Kanaks^[34] — a period referred to as "the Events"^[35][36] (French: Les Événements^[37][38]) — the Matignon Agreements were signed,^[39] establishing a transition to its current large autonomy as a sui generis collectivity within the French state. This was followed in 1998 by the Nouméa Accord. As part of the Accord, New Caledonia was allowed to hold three referendums to decide on the future status of the territory, with voting rights restricted to indigenous Kanak and other inhabitants living in New Caledonia before 1998.^[33]

As part of the Nouméa Accord of 1998, the population of New Caledonia continued to vote in national elections—for the French president and National Assembly—but the number of people who can vote in provincial elections and independence referendums was restricted. This so-called "frozen electorate" consists only of those who were already living in New Caledonia in 1998 as well as their children, provided they maintained uninterrupted residence for ten years prior to each election. This deprived later immigrants, whether European or Polynesian, of voting rights. The number of excluded voters increased from 8,000 in 1999 to 18,000 in 2009 and to 42,000 in 2023, by which time almost one national voter out of five was excluded from participating in provincial elections (of 220,000 national voters only 178,000 were eligible).^[23][40] This restriction aimed at preventing the disempowerment of the native Kanak community that would result from the arrival in large number of people from metropolitan France.^[41]

Following a ruling by the French Constitutional Council in 1999 which limited the restriction to a simple ten-year residency requirement (a so-called "rolling electorate"), French president Jacques Chirac promised to have the French constitution amended on the request of independence groups in 2003. His parliamentary majority voted for the revision in 2007, thereby reverting to the "frozen electorate" rule.^[23][42] The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2005 that the restriction did not infringe the right to free elections and did not give rise to discrimination on the grounds of national origin since "New Caledonia's current status reflects a transitional phase prior to the acquisition of full sovereignty and is part of a process of self-determination", with the system then in place being "incomplete and provisional",^[20] which has been interpreted to mean that the frozen electorate was validated on the condition that it was only a provisional measure.^[40][43]

New Caledonia then had three consecutive independence referendums (in 2018, 2020 and 2021).^[44] Before the final referendum, the pro-independence candidate Louis Mapou was elected President of the Government of New Caledonia.^[45]

Results of the 2018 and 2020 referendums were 56.6% and 53.2% in favor of remaining part of France^[21] with 81% and 85.7% turnout respectively.^[44] With 46.7% of the vote in favor of independence and roughly 10,000 votes (of 155,000 participants^[46]) separating the two camps at the second referendum, the push for independence was stronger than expected.^[30] There was a very strong correlation between ethnic origin and voting, with the Kanaks overwhelmingly voting for and the other communities voting against independence.^[47] The pro-independence movement asked that the third referendum, which it had originally requested, be postponed due to the spread of COVID-19 within their community from September 2021 onward and the resulting impossibility of conducting a campaign while observing the customary Kanak mourning periods.^[48] The French government decided the referendum would go ahead as long as the sanitary situation improved.^[49] The anti-independence movement said that the 280 COVID-19 deaths were being instrumentalized by their opponents to postpone a referendum they were poised to lose. Partisans of independence had recently been weakened by their handling of the nickel economic crisis, as well as by the support given by France during the pandemic,^[49] which included 10 billion CFP franc (83 million euros) in financial aid, free vaccines, and medical staff from metropolitan France.^[50] The Kanak boycotted the referendum, resulting in a 96.5% victory for the anti-independence camp with 43.9% turnout.^[51] The national government viewed the "frozen electorate" as obsolete once the process of the three referendums defined by the Nouméa Accord ended.^[44] Documents published by the national government in 2021 listing the consequences of a "yes" or "no" vote in the referendum mentioned that the frozen electorate was not a permanent measure, but that it would not be automatically overturned by a third consecutive "no" vote.^[52][43]

Advocates for independence, who had boycotted the third referendum, considered it illegitimate, leading to institutional deadlock. Local talks ground to a halt and the next provincial election was rescheduled for 15 December 2024. On 26 December 2023, the Conseil d'État concluded that the current rules infringed significantly on universal suffrage, as they denied the vote to people either born or residing in New Caledonia for several decades.^[40][33]

Any revision of the transitional Nouméa Accord rules concerning eligible voters will require changes to the French constitution.^[23] At the beginning of 2024, the French government began a revision of the constitution which would "unfreeze" the electorate by keeping only a rolling ten-year residency requirement. Up to 25,841 people of the 42,000 excluded from the electorate would gain voting rights: 12,441 who were born and grew up in New Caledonia would gain the right automatically and up to 13,400 with ten years of continuous residence on the island could request it.^[53][54] A total of 16,000 citizens would remain excluded from participating in the provincial election.^[54] It included a clause that would prevent it from being implemented if a local deal between pro- and anti-independence groups was made at least ten days before the election.^[40][55][56]

A bipartisan group sent by the National Assembly to consult political, religious and tribal leaders concluded that "unfreezing" the electorate was a "legal and democratic necessity". It advised against doing so immediately due to the chaotic political situation. In its report released mid-March, it noted in particular the pessimistic mood prevalent on the island because of the chaotic political situation and permanent uncertainty about its future, which had led to the emigration of New Caledonians, often those excluded from the electorate, but also of educated Kanaks. This demographic trend mentioned in the report contrasts with the pro-independence claims of an ongoing demographic replacement via "massive immigration". The report caused controversy by relaying the opinion of several independence advocates, including Roch Wamytan, president of the Congress of New Caledonia, who asked whether President Emmanuel Macron was considering "recolonizing" New Caledonia and who further said that the "threshold of tolerance for whites" had been reached. Members of the pro-independence Caledonian Union also said that "If you make a change of the electorate, it will be war. Our youth is ready to go for it. If we have to sacrifice a thousand, we will do so".^[57][58]

On 2 April 2024, the French Senate, the French Parliament's upper house, voted to endorse constitutional amendments tabled by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin to extend suffrage to those who had been residing in New Caledonia for an uninterrupted 10 years.^[33] On 15 April, groups of supporters and opponents staged competing marches in Nouméa in response to the proposed French constitutional amendment. The pro-independence march was organized by a field action coordination committee close to Union Calédonienne (UC), which is part of the FLNKS umbrella. The pro-French march was organized by the two pro-French parties Le Rassemblement and Les Loyalistes. The French High Commission estimated that a total of 40,000 people (15% of the population) attended the marches. Pro-independence organisers claimed 58,000 attended their rally and pro-French organizers claimed 35,000 attended theirs.^[59]

On 15 May, the National Assembly, the French Parliament's lower house voted in favor of the constitutional amendments by a margin of 351 to 153 votes. While right-wing parties supported "unfreezing" the list of voters, left-wing parties voted against the amendments. After passing both houses, the constitutional amendments still need to be approved by a two-thirds majority of the Congress of the French Parliament (a joint session of both the National Assembly and Senate).^[33]

Local leaders said that giving "foreigners" the right to vote would dilute the vote of indigenous Kanak people and increase the vote share for pro-French politicians.^[60][61]

The economy and unemployment were reportedly factors in the unrest due to the local nickel mining sector having experienced a downturn.^[62][63] According to Politico, New Caledonia has 30% of the world's nickel reserves.^[64] Nikkei Asia reported that New Caledonia had the 5th largest reserve of the world's nickel and that difficulties were caused by a glut in the global nickel market.^[65] Nickel mining makes up 90% of all exports and employs around a "quarter of its workforce" according to the Associated Press.^[66] By 2023, the nickel sector's profitability had declined due to governmental export restrictions, high energy costs and competition from Indonesian and other Asian nickel producers. With production down 32% in the first quarter of 2023, French authorities warned that the territory's three main nickel processing factories could shut down, leading to an unemployment crisis. Several major investors including Glencore and Euramet either curtailed new investments in New Caledonia^[64] or sought to sell off their holdings.^[67] The French government promised €200 million in subsidies for the nickel sector, but this "nickel pact" was denounced by independence supporters as a neocolonial measure that would increase Paris' power over the territory.^[64]

While strides have been made towards making access to higher education more equitable, the programs for secondary education are still decided in metropolitan France. In 2021, Kanaks were 2.4 times less likely to find a professional internship for their last year of middle school. In 2017, Kanaks were 5.1 times less likely to earn a baccalauréat général and 8.3 times less likely to have a college degree than their Caldoche counterparts. According to studies carried out in the 2010s, Kanaks were more likely to experience discrimination in access to everything from nightclubs to housing, particularly in Nouméa. A 2014 Senate report indicated that 95% of the inmates in Nouméa penitentiary [fr] were of Kanak origin. According to Marie Salaün and Benoît Trépied, it was this socioeconomic context that led "marginalized youth" to "play a leading role in the explosion of urban violence in May 2024."^[68]

New Caledonia also has a high level of gun ownership.^[64] French youth sociologist Evelyne Barthou and French National Centre for Scientific Research anthropologist Benoît Trépied have attributed New Caledonia's high level of gun ownership to a long history of hunting and cattle herding among both the Kanak and Caldoche populations.^[69] In 2011, gun sales soared in New Caledonia after the government eased firearms regulations, with a total value of US$1.6 million in 2011. According to RNZ and Nouméa's daily newspaper Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes, the number of firearms being sold rose from 1,800 in 2010 to 2,500 in 2011.^[70] Under the new law, people could buy an unlimited number of firearms if they could provide an identity card, hunting license and a medical certificate confirming physical and mental aptitude to buy a firearm.^[71]

In November 2013, the French Government announced that it would tighten gun laws before the end of the year, leading to a spike in gun sales in New Caledonia. French High Commissioner Jean-Jacques Brot said that gun sales had doubled while local media claimed that the figure had increased tenfold.^[72] In late September 2016, the French Supreme Court struck down a decree seeking to limit gun ownership in New Caledonia since it had not been signed by the ministers of sport and transport. The process for reissuing the decree is expected to take six months.^[71] By April 2024, a French National Assembly report estimated that 64,000 hunting and sporting weapons were in circulation across the archipelago. If illegal weapons were included, French authorities estimated that this figure rose to 100,000 firearms, resulting in a high ratio of gun ownership per total population (roughly 286,500 people).^[69] According to anthropologist Nathanaëlle Soler, weapons were stockpiled "in anticipation of post-referendum strife".^[32]

On 13 May 2024, violence broke out in Nouméa. The clashes pitted law enforcement forces against pro-independence demonstrators, causing fires, looting and injuries among the gendarmes. Three prison employees were briefly taken hostage during an attempted mutiny in the Nouméa prison center. Schools and public services in the affected areas were closed. The French high commissioner requested reinforcements from Paris to maintain order and announced a ban on the carrying and transporting of weapons as well as on the sale of alcohol for 48 hours.^[73] A large factory, specializing in bottling was completely burnt down in Nouméa. Nouméa firefighters said they received nearly 1,500 calls overnight and responded to around 200 fires. Around thirty shops, factories and other businesses were set on fire.^[73]

Supermarkets and car dealerships were looted and vehicles and businesses were burned.^[74][75] Areas affected include Nouméa and the neighbouring towns of Dumbéa and Le Mont-Dore,^[76] where gendarmes were fired upon with large caliber hunting rifles.^[77] Thirty-six protesters were arrested.^[78] Authorities imposed a curfew and public gatherings were banned for two days beginning on 14 May.^[79][80] The French Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin announced that police reinforcements were being sent to the island.^[81]

On 15 May, reports arose about the deaths of two people overnight, the first was apparently killed in an act of self defence while the circumstances of the second death remained unclear.^[82] Violent riots continued. Clashes erupted between supporters and opponents of independence.^[83] Three Kanak protestors were killed during a drive-by shooting committed by a motorist whose car was stopped at a barricade, while a gendarme was killed in an ambush.^[84][85] By the end of the day four people were dead (including a gendarme) and 300 people were injured. 140 people were arrested. More than 70 police officers and gendarmes were also injured, while around 80 businesses were burned or ransacked.^[86] Some residents erected barricades to protect their properties and the riots lead to food shortages. The high commissioner described the situation as "insurrectional" and evoking the risk of a "civil war" . Emmanuel Macron called for calm and stated that he plans to hold a meeting of the territorial congress to ratify the reform.^[87][88][89] A defense council was held by Emmanuel Macron, following which a decree aimed at declaring a state of emergency in New Caledonia was requested by the President of the Republic and placed on the agenda of the Council of Ministers.^[90]

On 16 May, the state of emergency came into force at 05:00 in Nouméa.^[91][92] Forty-five minutes after imposition of the state of emergency, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced the deployment of the French army to ensure the security of seaports and airports.^[16] TikTok was also banned in New Caledonia.^[16]

On 18 May, French interior minister Gérald Darmanin announced the launch of a major operation aimed at taking total control of the 60 km main road between Nouméa and La Tontouta International Airport.^[93] More than 600 gendarmes, including a hundred GIGN operatives were set to take part in the operation.^[93]

On 19 May, French authorities announced the success of the operation, claiming the destruction of 76 barricades, more than 200 arrests and the reopening of 20 food businesses.^[94] The French High Commissioner's office confirmed that unidentified groups set two fires and raided a police station between 18 and 19 May, with 230 rioters arrested.^[95] It was reported that the rioters had taken control of the northern districts of Nouméa.^[94] French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc announced that French security forces would be launching new raids against pro-independence strongholds across New Caledonia. Le Franc also confirmed that customs officials had secured 103 containers of food and medicine at Nouméa's port.^[95]

On the night of 21 May to 22 May, a cyber attack took place in New Caledonia after the announcement of Emmanuel Macron's arrival. This alleged external attack was carried out by sending millions of emails simultaneously and was aimed at saturating the New Caledonian internet network. But the French authorities were able to thwart the cyber attack before it caused significant damage.^[96] Moreover, Australia evacuated 300 citizens who had registered with the Australian authorities for assistance in leaving New Caledonia.^[97] and RNZAF Lockheed C-130 Hercules plane evacuated 50 New Zealanders.^[98]

On 22 May, President Emmanuel Macron visited the island^[24] and asked local actors to reach a comprehensive agreement within a month. He evoked the possibility of a referendum concerning Paris' desired changes in voter eligibility rules if the Congress did not reach an agreement, and compared the violence gripping the territory to the riots in the Hexagon after the killing of Nahel Merzouk.^[25] Two primary schools and 300 vehicles at a car dealership were torched overnight.^[99]

On 23 May a RNZAF Boeing 757 evacuated 50 more civilians.^[100]

Clashes continued and on 24 May, a clash between police and rioters led to the death of a Kanak demonstrator.^[101][102] On 24 May a third flight evacuated 50 New Zealanders on a C130.^[103]

On 25 May, riots continued and France started the evacuation of French tourists from New Caledonia. Some were evacuated via aircraft of the French military. Some were evacuated via flights chartered by French army to Australia and New Zealand and from there to France.^[104]

On 26 May, pro-independence leaders stated the goal of full independence from France and also advised rioters to loosen their grip on barricades to allow supplies to pass through while making it clear that 'resistance' would continue and barricades would remain in place.^[105]

The French government lifted the state of emergency in New Caledonia at 05:00 on 28 May.^[106] A facilitation mission aimed at reestablishing dialogue between the independentists and the loyalists. The establishment of the curfew and the ban on TikTok, taken outside of this framework, was maintained, as was the ban on transporting or carrying weapons and the sale of alcohol. The reopening of Nouméa-La Tontouta International Airport was not planned before June 2.^[107][108]

The ban on TikTok was lifted on 29 May.^[109]

On 31 May, French authorities announced the restoration of full control over Nouméa following a major police operation in the Riviere-Salee district that resulted in 12 arrests.^[110]

On 1 June, a young off-duty police officer of Kanak origin was attacked by vigilantes.^[111]

On 3 June, two men attacked a gendarme vehicle, prompting its occupant to gendarme shooting them both. One of the attackers died from his injuries on 7 June.^[112]

By 5 June, commercial flights had resumed at La Tontouta International Airport on a limited basis. The main road between Nouméa and the international airport remains blocked by numerous blockades erected by groups of rioters.^[113]

On 12 June, Emmanuel Macron announced the suspension of the constitutional reform changing New Caledonia's electoral body during a press conference following the dissolution of the National Assembly.^[27]

On 19 June, authorities announced the arrest of 11 people, including Christian Tein, the leader of the pro-independence movement CCAT (Field Action Coordination Cell), on suspicion of instigating the violence.^[114] Seven of the eleven were flown to metropolitan France, including: Tein, who was detained in Mulhouse for further questioning; the CCAT communications director, who was held in Dijon;^[115] and the director of the Congressional president's office, who was incarcerated in Riom.^[116] Demonstrations took place in mainland France notably near the building of the Ministry of Justice and in Lutterbach.^{[117][118][119][120]}

On 23 June, riots broke out again in Nouméa, during which protesters set fire to the town hall of Koumac as well as several police vehicles, destroyed parts of Païta and set up roadblocks. A firefighting vehicle was also attacked in Dumbéa.^[121] A police station and several other buildings were set alight across New Caledonia.^[122]

On 1 July, French police and GIGN carried out an operation in Houillou on the eastern coast of the island.^[123]

On 10 July, a gun battle between French security forces and rioters led to the death of an alleged gunman^[123] and police had been deployed in the area to arrest the perpetrators.^[123]

On 15 August, an alleged gunman was shot dead by the French police in the majority Kanak town of Thio, bringing the death toll during the unrest to 11.^[124]

In October 2024, the curfew was extended until 4 November.^[125][126] The curfew included a ban on the possession, purchase and transportation of firearms, the sale of alcohol, and a ban on public meetings and demonstrations in the Greater Nouméa area. In late October, a heavy security presence remained in force in Saint Louis and Route Provinciale 1.^[126]

On 3 December 2024, New Caledonia's High Commission lifted the territory's overnight curfew.^[127]

As of October 2025, tensions persist despite dialogue as the pro-independence FLNKS rejects France’s latest delay of regional elections and demands a vote on existing rolls, warning that repeated postponements and roll changes could reignite May 2024-style unrest; although New Caledonian and French officials signed the Bougival Accord in July 2025 to create a “special-status state within France,” it has since stalled after FLNKS withdrew support amid internal rifts and a leadership shift from Emmanuel Tjibaou to Christian Tein, who was cleared of incitement charges in France but remains barred from returning to New Caledonia.^[128][129]

Armed loyalist militias formed to support police and to defend neighborhoods^[130][5] due to the perception that law enforcement was overwhelmed.^[130][131] Some loyalist militias also set up sniper positions on the rooftops.^[131] The High Commissioner of the Republic Louis Le Franc called upon the militias to stand down rather than to create a vicious circle of violence.^[5] The Field Action Coordination Unit accused loyalist militias of violence with the tacit complicity of the police.^[5]

In October 2024, a number of separatists appeared at court in Paris over their alleged role in the unrest.^[132] On 22 October, the Court of Cassation announced that it would review the decision by judges in Nouméa to exile five pro-independence activists including CCAT leader Christian Tein without any adversarial debate and the conditions of their transfer to France.^[133] On 23 October, Tein's imprisonment was reversed by the Court of Cassation.^[134]

According to Australian peace and conflict studies professor Nicole George and University of Pau and the Adour Region sociologist Évelyne Barthou, Kanaky youth played a major role in leading the protests and violence. George said that the protests were rooted in "the highly visible wealth disparities" in the territory which "fuel resentment and the profound racial inequalities that deprive Kanak youths of opportunity and contribute to their alienation." Similarly Barthou said that many Kanaky young people resented having to compete for limited opportunities with migrants from mainland France. Anthropologist Nathanaëlle Soler identifies the proximity of some of the Loyalist leaders, like Sonia Backès, as well as white militias, with far-right parties, and cites the unwillingness of the French government to recognize colonial history and the "pervasiveness of racism in Nouvelle-Caledonian society" as among the causes of the unrest.^[32] Former president Philippe Gomès identifies the economic downturn due to the collapse of the nickel industry, as "one of the main causes" of the strife.^[64]

A report released in February 2026 by the Commission nationale consultative des droits de l'homme (CNCDH) found that during the riots there had been "a worrying weakening of fundamental human rights, affecting the Kanak population in particular", with racial discrimination against Kanaks widespread and a number of instances reported of extrajudicial and collective punishment.^[135]

Particular violations and allegations raised in the CNCDH report included:

• Instances of "violent, often disproportionate repression by the police, particularly in the Southern Province and more specifically against the Kanak people". French reportedly employed "severe physical violence, including against minors, as well as deliberate destruction of property", and allegations were made that police had misused armoured vehicles and had fired upon civilians from helicopters.^[136]
• Discrimination against Kanaks in the domestic court system, with over 90 percent of the Camp Est [fr] prison population being Kanak and many held on remand without trial or accused of minor property offences. In contrast, no legal action was taken against Loyalist militias during the unrest.^[136]
• Targeting of Kanak leaders for extradition, who were flown to France and held in solitary confinement during pre-trial detention. Some transfers "allegedly violated the rights of the legal defence and took place in complete secrecy, even from relatives", with prosecutions subsequently abandoned without trial and detainees released "on French mainland territory, 17,000 kilometres from their homes, without winter clothing or return tickets".^[136]

As of 19 September 2024 thirteen people were killed during shootings or police operations.^[137] A 14th person died during a traffic collision.^[12]

On 31 May, about 153^[138] police officers were injured.^[139][140] Ten independence activists accused of organizing violence were placed under house arrest.^[141][142]

On 15 May, a gendarme was seriously injured in Plum and died later in the same day. On 16 May, three Kanak civilians, including two teenagers and a man, were killed in Nouméa by unidentified armed civilians,^[143] while on the same day, another gendarme died of accidental gunshot wounds inflicted by another member of the security forces.^[144] On 18 May, a Caldoche man, aged 51, was killed in a gunfight in Kaala-Gomen, after firing on Kanak protestors as a result of rocks being thrown at his car at a roadblock, breaking a window.^[145] His son as well as two Kanak protestors were injured.^[146] On the same day, a motorcyclist died upon hitting a car wreck serving as a roadblock set up by Kanak protesters.^[12] On 24 May, a person was killed by a police officer who opened fire while being attacked by a group of around 15 rioters.^[101][102]

A 26-year-old man who was shot by gendarmes during a shootout on 3 June died of his injuries on 7 June.^[147] On 11 June, a 34-year-old man who was shot by a GIGN gendarme on 19 May in Dumbéa succumbed to his wounds.^[148] On 10 July, one person was fatally shot by police following a gun battle in Mont-Dore, bringing the death toll to 10.^[123] On 15 August, a protestor was killed by police during the blocking of a bridge in Thio.^[149] On 19 September, two pro-independence activists were killed during a police operation.^[10]

On 13 May, a pregnant woman due to give birth suffered a miscarriage due to the authorities not having been able to help her in time due to riots.^[150] On 15 May, a 40-year-old diabetic man died at his home, having not been able to receive dialysis in time due to riots.^[151] From 14 May to 28 May, an abnormally high amount of excess deaths due to natural causes were registered according to the Nouméa city morgue: 79 people in two weeks, nearly twice the normal figure for a two-week period.^[152]

The looting and destruction cost on 16 May more than 200 million euros in damage.^[153] The cost increased to one billion euros on 21 May.^[154] More than 150 businesses were completely destroyed^[155][156] and around 1,500 jobs were lost.^[157] The riots have taken a heavy toll the New Caledonian economy, reducing its annual GDP by two percent.^[156][155] La Tontouta International Airport was closed for commercial flights from 14 May until 3 June.^[158][141] Full operations are expected to resume on 17 June.^[159] According to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, 80 to 90% of the grocery distribution network has been taken out.^[141][63] On 14 May the Nouméa bus network was suspended until further notice.^[160] The Médipôle main hospital was overwhelmed.^[161]

On 22 May, the Mayor of Nouméa reported that two primary schools and a car dealership containing 300 cars had been torched overnight. Police reported that 280 protesters had been arrested while local prosecutors reported that 400 shops and businesses had been damaged.^[99] In a month of riots, the toll was estimated at 900 businesses and 200 houses destroyed, 600 vehicles burned.^[162]

On 17 May, it was announced that the Olympic Torch Relay for the 2024 Paris Olympics would not pass through New Caledonia on 11 June as had originally been planned.^[163]

Citing the ongoing unrest and the resulting decline of tourism demands, Aircalin announced in July that it would suspend its Tokyo-Narita route indefinitely from September, which led to New Caledonia's tourism board to close its Tokyo office as of that month.^[164][165]

The 2024 unrest has also accelerated emigration and workforce shortage issues in New Caledonia.^[166][167] Australian journalist Nic Maclellan wrote that the 2024 unrest could accelerate a trend of emigration and declining birth rates in the territory. According to figures released by the Institut de las statisque et des études économiques Nouvelle-Calédonie (ISEE-NC), New Caledonia's population dropped from 271,285 in 2019 to 268,510 in 2023. Between 2015 and 2022, 19,807 people, predominantly French nationals, emigrated from New Caledonia. Push factors for emigration have included New Caledonia's restrictive franchise law, economic uncertainty caused by the three independence referendums between 2018 and 2021 and difficulties faced by the territory's nickel industry.^[166] By late March 2025, La Tontouta International Airport, which is administered by the New Caledonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), estimated that 10,700 people (mainly French nationals) had departed the territory in response to the "climate of insecurity and instability" created by the 2024 unrest.^[168]

In late July 2024, Nouvelle-Calédonie La Première reported that the New Caledonia Board of Physicians had received 78 requests for deregisteration since the start of the 2024 unrest, amounting to almost ten percent of the workforce. In June 2024, 30 physicians left the territory.^[169] On 20 September 2024, Radio New Zealand reported that France had deployed an emergency health contingent to the territory including two emergency specialists, four general practitioners, three oncologists and two pedo-psychiatrists to address the health workforce shortage. New Caledonia's nurses association vice-president François Delboy also estimated that half of the nursing workforce was planning to leave due to a surge in verbal abuse, physical attacks and thefts in the four months following the May unrest.^[167] By 28 March 2025, the French Medical Association of New Caledonia estimated that 20% of the territory's 1,000 registered doctors had left New Caledonia since the unrest began. ABC News reported that many French nurses had returned to metropolitan France after their contracts ended. Some neighbourhoods in Noumea lacked doctors since the remaining doctors had opted to move to safer neighbourhoods. A shortage of surgical nurses had led to the closure of some departments at Noumea's hospital and the suspension of some surgery services. In response, the health professional body Collectif Santé en danger proposed that the New Caledonian government use income tax exemptions to attract doctors and nurses back to the territory.^[168]

In late March 2025, ABC News reported that one in five New Caledonian workers (roughly 11,000 people) had lost all or part of their income since the 2024 crisis. ABC News also reported that more than half of these 11,000 people were still unemployed as of late March 2025.^[168]

On 16 May, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin accused Azerbaijan of interfering in the unrest by making a deal with independence advocates on France 2.^[170] Azerbaijan denied Darmanin's accusations.^[171] However, in July 2023, Azerbaijan had invited pro-independence activists from the French overseas territories of Martinique, French Guiana, New Caledonia and French Polynesia for a conference in Baku, which saw the creation of a "Baku Initiative Group" whose stated aim is to support "French liberation and anti-colonial movements."^[172] Azerbaijan has made increasingly unfriendly statements to France since October 2023, when France sold military equipment (including radar and missile systems) to Armenia.^[173] The Ministry of the Interior and VIGINUM also accused Azerbaijan of interference, by spreading disinformation on social networks to support the pro-independence activists.^{[174][175][176]}

On 6 June, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that X accounts affiliated with several Azeri government and New Azerbaijan Party officials including Esmira Xalil, Rasadat Xaliqov, Ramila Seyidova, Anar Sahmurad, and Turkan Quliyeva had circulated anti-French disinformation and propaganda on the platform including allegations that French police had killed Kanaks.^[177]

On 16 May, a report by French radio station Europe 1 also accused Turkey of interfering in a "circumstantial alliance of secret services to designate a common enemy" or steered by Russia and China to "open peripheral fronts, such as in New Caledonia, or to weaken the French state".^[178] An unnamed Turkish source was reportedly "amused by the unsubstantiated allegations" but did not expect Turkey to "formally repudiate" the claims.^[179]