The ordeal of this foreign nurse in Noumea

Audrey has lived in New Caledonia for three years and has just lost her job as a nurse at the Noumea hospital. The violence that began in May continues to weaken the archipelago and force residents of the metropolis to leave.

For three years, she has been 17,000 km away from her hometown of Auvergne. Audrey is an expat in Noumea, New Caledonia. This new life she has chosen changed two and a half months ago. When riots broke out in this Pacific archipelago. “It’s not as tense as it was in the beginning, but there are still buildings being burned down and carjackings happening every night.”describing the exhausted Clermont-Toise.

There are still roadblocks everywhere. People are afraid. An atmosphere of permanent tension reigns.

Audrey

Expats in Noumea

Ten people have died since the violence that broke out when the National Assembly voted to unfreeze the electoral body. For weeks, Audrey has had to commute to work. She is a nurse at the Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital and has been seconded to Noumea Hospital since 2021. “It took us two hours to get there. I was afraid we would be shot. The neighborhood next to the Médipôle was in total panic. There were explosions and shootings around the clock. Metropolitan officials stopped seizing their cars. “We went there because we were insulted and stoned”the paramedic said.

But recently, Audrey has stopped wondering how to get to work safely. Due to insufficient resources, the hospital did not renew her contract and no longer pays overtime. “There are still surgeons and nurses starting to leave, but it’s still going to take a while.”Audrey explained.

If tensions were not so high in some places, the archipelago’s economy would remain stable. Audrey’s partner, who had lived in New Caledonia for ten years, had just been laid off. “He is an electrician for a small company. Of all the quotes, many clients have left the area, lost their jobs or no longer have money. Given the current situation, no one is doing any work and, therefore, no longer works for the company”she sighed.

We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. The pension fund is empty. And the money to pay for the hospital bills. It’s been three months since the appearance of the “Ruamm” (equivalent to the “Urssaf” in mainland France). No money is coming in.

Audrey

Expats in Noumea

Those who had invested the least in the territory were the first to leave. Others held on in the hope that things would get better. “For the first month, we said to ourselves we would wait, and now two and a half months have passed and we are facing a terrible socio-economic and health crisis.”Audrey worries that she will finally decide to return to Auvergne with her partner before the end of the summer.

For two and a half months, we felt completely abandoned. What is happening here now would never happen in mainland France. We also felt abandoned and had to leave everything behind: our car, our apartment. We left with two suitcases.

Audrey

Expats in Noumea

The couple will use their “Latest Savings” Pay for your return flight ticket. ‘Very unhappy with the situation’ Audrey and her companions thought of those “stuck” There is no way out of this chaos. “We’re going to be spending three and 10 years of our lives here. We’re still in shock, trying to comprehend what’s going on. We know we’ll go back to our families and find jobs, but we’re going to need some time off to recover from all this.”

Stéphane Trentesaux / France 3 Auvergne Collected reviews