Why Armed Corsica Separatists Are Threatening Tourists and Second-Home Buyers (Video)
Masked Corsican separatist group FLNC-UC has warned tourists and second-home buyers to 'stay at home,' saying migration threatens the island's identity. The warning comes as France advances a Corsica autonomy bill that the group rejects, reaffirming its demand for independence and raising fresh concerns over regional security and political tensions.
A masked armed group claiming to represent Corsican separatists has issued a warning to tourists and people considering moving to the French Mediterranean island, saying they should "stay at home" unless Corsica's national rights are recognised. The threat comes as France moves ahead with legislation that would grant the island greater autonomy while keeping it within the French Republic.
The video, released by the Corsican National Liberation Front-Union of Combatants (FLNC-UC), shows around a dozen hooded members carrying rifles and submachine guns RFI reported. In the footage, a masked speaker accused France of encouraging demographic change through migration and second-home purchases, describing it as "settlement-driven colonisation." World War 3 Fears: Vladimir Putin May Send Armed Groups To Occupy NATO Territory Within Weeks, US Intelligence Warns.
Corsica Separatists Warn Tourists and Property Buyers
Armed Warning to Tourists and Property Buyers
During the recorded statement, a man believed to be the group's leader said: "Until our national rights are recognised and respected, we have only one message for them: stay at home."
He added: "Otherwise, do not consider yourselves safe on our national territory." The FLNC-UC claimed that around 5,000 people, "the vast majority of whom are French," move to Corsica every year for work or to purchase second homes. The group argued that this trend threatens the island's identity and compared it to "a weapon of mass dilution that colonialism has always used against the peoples it seeks to subjugate, or even wipe out." Social Media Ban for Children Under 15 Approved in France: Which Other Countries Have Age Limits? List Here.
Autonomy Bill at the Centre of the Dispute
The warning comes as France debates legislation aimed at granting Corsica greater autonomy.
The proposed law, which cleared the French National Assembly in June, recognises Corsica as a distinct historical, linguistic and cultural community and would expand the powers of its local assembly while keeping the island within France.
However, the FLNC-UC rejected the proposal, calling it a "masquerade." According to the group, the bill "leads to the denial of the existence of our people and the repudiation of the main demands of recent decades." "The Corsican people will never be a vulgar administrative community," the group's spokesperson said in the video.
Group Reaffirms Independence Goal
The statement was delivered during a clandestine press conference attended only by local newspaper Corse Matin. The FLNC-UC reiterated that its objective remains "national independence" but said it would continue supporting "currently unilateral peace efforts" if they align with the wishes of the Corsican people.
Long History of Separatist Violence
The FLNC first emerged publicly in 1976 after claiming responsibility for 18 coordinated bomb attacks during a "blue night", a term used in Corsica to describe multiple explosions carried out across different locations in a single night.
Over the years, the movement has fragmented into several factions. The last major attack claimed by the FLNC-UC occurred in October 2023, when 45 explosions targeted second homes and a former tax office in Ajaccio. No injuries were reported.
The latest warning also comes amid wider tensions over tourism across southern Europe.
Recent years have seen large anti-tourism demonstrations in Spain, including protests in Mallorca and the Canary Islands, where residents have argued that mass tourism is driving up housing costs and placing increasing pressure on local infrastructure.
Corsica itself has experienced steady population growth, adding nearly 32,900 residents between 2015 and 2025, according to France's national statistics agency INSEE. The island has long attracted wealthy property owners, including international business figures, celebrities and members of European royal families.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 07, 2026 06:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).