Μake us preferred on Google New tension has erupted in Corsica after armed separatists issued a warning to anyone considering moving to the island or buying a second home there, saying they shouldn’t take their safety for granted.
According to a report by the Telegraph, members of the Corsican National Liberation Front – Union of Combatants (FLNC-UC) appeared in a video released Thursday, August 6.
The footage shows masked men armed with submachine guns and sniper rifles.
The group’s leader, speaking with a disguised voice, said that as long as what he called Corsica’s “national rights” go unrecognized and unrespected, the message to anyone choosing to settle on the island is clear: “stay in your own homes.”
He also warned that those who ignore the message shouldn’t consider themselves safe.
@corsematin
Le FLNC Union des combattants a tenu une conférence de presse clandestine avant les Ghjurnate Internaziunale di Corti qui commencent ce vendredi. Parmi les sujets évoqués, ce qu’il considère comme une volonté de l’État de “criminaliser” le mouvement de “libération nationale”.
Separatists Against French “Colonialism”
The statement comes amid growing pushback from separatist circles against a proposed bill to expand Corsica’s autonomy.
Separatists argue the bill fails to adequately recognize the existence of the Corsican people. The bill has already been approved by the French National Assembly in June and is expected to go before the Senate in the fall.
The group’s leader said the Corsican people will never be reduced to a mere administrative community, stressing that separatists will keep reacting to any policy they see as challenging their national and cultural identity.
The statement was made during a clandestine press conference to which only the local outlet Corse Matin was invited exclusively.
The announcement also focused on demographic change on the island. The separatists pointed to roughly 5,000 people, mostly French nationals, who they say settle in Corsica each year, either for work or to buy a second home.
The group described this trend as uncontrolled colonization through population settlement, comparing it to a practice they say has historically been used to assimilate or erase peoples.
Available demographic data show Corsica’s population has grown significantly in recent years. According to French statistics agency INSEE, the island’s population rose by roughly 32,900 residents between 2015 and 2025, with an average annual growth rate of close to 1%.
