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On 31st March 2011, Mayotte – a small island with a surface area of 374 km² situated in the Mozambique canal – became France’s 101th French département and its 5th overseas département. At the same time, due to the structure of its local economy, the island also became the poorest département. To this day, the principle of social equality and the introduction of common law into this new département have remained tentative. As a result, support at family and local level have taken on the crucial role of social buffer. This article will describe how the integration process has contributed to both regulating and creating inequalities and the challenges this poses. For this purpose, we have chosen to approach the question from two different angles: we shall firstly deal with “internal” social inequalities in Mayotte (based on “ethnicity”, gender, generation and class). We shall then consider Mayotte within the context of its geo-political environment. The fact that the island is situated at a migratory crossroads highlights inequalities in terms of social protection systems between Mayotte and its neighbouring territories.