The first Australian government flight from New Caledonia landed in Brisbane on the evening of Tuesday, May 21, after evacuating people from the French territory which has experienced a week of deadly riots, sparked by electoral changes by the French government in Paris.

Around 3,200 people are waiting to leave or enter New Caledonia as commercial flights were canceled due to the unrest that broke out last week, the local government has said.

FRANCE'S MACRON TO MAKE UNEXPECTED VISIT TO VIOLENCE-HIT NEW CALEDONIA

France's High Commission in New Caledonia said on Tuesday the airport remains closed for commercial flights, and it will deploy the military to protect public buildings.