Migrants in 'inhumane' conditions on Chagos Islands could move to UK

by · Mail Online

Dozens of migrants marooned on the remote Chagos Islands could be brought to the UK under plans being discussed by ministers.

The Foreign Office is in advanced talks about an arrangement that could see 61 Sri Lankan migrants who landed on the Indian Ocean island three years ago brought to the UK.

The move is likely to revive the row over Sir Keir Starmer’s controversial decision to surrender sovereignty of the islands to the island state of Mauritius, which has close links to China.

Ministers said the deal was needed to secure the future of the strategically vital UK-US military base on the largest island Diego Garcia.

But critics accused the government of setting a dangerous precedent that could eventually lead to the UK losing control of other territories, including the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar.

Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago and site of a major United States military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean leased from Britain
Sri Lankan migrants stuck on Diego Garcia (pictured) could be moved to the UK under plans by ministers

Under the terms of the deal, migrants who arrive illegally on the islands in the coming months while the agreement with Mauritius is finalised, will be sent to another remote British territory, St Helena, which is thousands of miles away in the Atlantic. 

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Once the deal is finalised, the fate of new arrivals will become a matter for Mauritius.

But the agreement does not cover migrants who have already reached the islands, and who now look set to be sent to the UK.

Some 61 Tamil Sri Lankan asylum seekers have been living on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands, since October 2021 after being rescued at sea by Royal Navy personnel.

In March this year, some of the migrants brought legal action against the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, claiming there had been an ‘unlawful delay’ in arranging their relocation to a safe third country.

The High Court in London was previously told that some of the migrants face “inhumane” conditions on the island, including overcrowding and rat infestations.

The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) or Chagos Islands (formerly the Oil Islands) is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and Indonesia
Foreign Secretary David Lammy. Some of the migrants brought legal action against the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, claiming there had been an ‘unlawful delay' to their relocation to a safe third country

On Monday, lawyers for the Foreign Office and Home Office said there had been a ‘proposed change in policy’ to allow families, children and unaccompanied men who do not have criminal convictions or outstanding investigations the opportunity to transfer directly to the UK.

Asked about Diego Garcia on Monday, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘The government inherited a deeply troubling situation that remained unresolved under the previous administration when it came to migrants who had arrived at Diego Garcia.

‘Diego Garcia had clearly never been a suitable long-term location for migrants and the Government has been working to find a solution that protects their welfare and the integrity of British territorial borders. Discussions in relation to those migrants are ongoing.’