Three New Caledonian members of the French legislature have turned to the French prime minister over their concerns about the extension of France's health emergency.
Philippe Dunoyer Photo: AFP
Measures adopted in response to the covid-19 pandemic give Paris the power to decide what quarantine measures apply, including in New Caledonia.
Under the new rules, New Caledonia would not be allowed to quarantine people who Paris deemed to have arrived from a low-risk country.
The three members - Senator Gerard Poajda and the National Assembly's Philippe Dunoyer and Philippe Gomes - said France's emergency application in New Caledonia went against both the constitution and the Noumea Accord, which grants the territory powers to decide its own health policies and border controls.
They had raised the issue with the constitutional court in Paris but it declined to involve itself in a health emergency.
Mr Dunoyer said they therefore turned to the French prime minister Edouard Philippe for him to get a decision from the highest administrative court.
Under the new rules, New Caledonia would not be allowed to quarantine people who Paris deemed to have arrived from a low-risk country.
The New Caledonian politicians said France could for example exempt travellers from Australia and New Zealand while under New Caledonia's rules anyone arriving from overseas had to be quarantined in designated hotels for two weeks followed by one week in self-isolation.
New Caledonia had the last of its 18 positive Covid-19 tests five weeks ago while France has had more than 140000 cases and almost 27000 deaths.
