🔗 Share this article

The UK government is facing calls to support Chagossians who require short-term accommodation after a surge of them came in the United Kingdom to exercise their entitlement to UK nationality.

Rising Figures at London Airport

The local authority said 152 islanders had landed at Heathrow Airport in the area this week so far, bringing the overall number to more than 600 since July last year.

The Tory-run council says it expects to allocate £2m this year on its statutory obligation to support without accommodation British-Chagossians, straining limited accommodation options and "breaking" its finances.

Historical Context of the Islanders' Plight

The Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean was converted into a defense installation in the 1960s and the whole community was forced to move, primarily to the neighboring country or the Seychelles islands.

In the year 2002, a restricted group of islanders were granted the right to British nationality. Thousands now live in the UK, including an community of 3,000 in West Sussex.

Current Situation

In late 2022, the authorities introduced a fresh British nationality route which was widened to every person of Chagossian descent, residing anywhere in the world, allowing them to be recognised as British citizens without cost.

Grown-ups have half a decade, from 23 November 2022, to claim UK citizenship. Children delivered within the five-year application time have until they are 23 to submit their application.

Government Position

The UK government said islanders were expected to make their own housing arrangements prior to travelling and maintained the arrival of newcomers was "completely unrelated" to the agreement with the Mauritian government.

"Islanders coming to the United Kingdom are expected to arrange their own accommodation prior to arrival," a official representative said.

Authority Worries

The local authority says it is at risk of going financially insolvent and has put in a request for special funding from the government.

It is planning to reduce expenditure by thirty-eight million pounds this period, the biggest reduction goal the council has ever attempted.

"It's overwhelming the authority," Steve Tuckwell said. "It's diverting public funds from core services."

Individual Experiences

Damien Dursonial, 35, arrived at the airport with his wife and two children, four and six years old, on Wednesday.

Originally from Mauritius, where he worked as a officer, he accumulated funds for two years and disposed of his bike to cover the air travel to the UK.

"I traveled to the United Kingdom because it was the sole location where we could experience security, valued and acknowledged as a British citizen," he said.

Continuing Difficulties

The authority established a pop-up processing centre in the area this week to handle the surge in Chagossian arrivals.

Councils have a legal duty to help eligible people who are homeless and provide temporary accommodation for households with children.

The authority says it is already struggling to support refugees housed in the locality by the Home Office.

Budget Strain

"I'm urging the authorities to do the right thing," the council representative said. "End this pressure on local residents. The budget is running dry."

The council had sent letters to government officials asking for funding to support islanders but had failed to get any replies.

Community Perspective

Vanessa Mandarin Calu, who collaborates with Biot Citizen, said numerous British-Chagossians were staying temporarily in the UK while they wait to return to their ancestral land.

"The Chagos Islands is a British Overseas Territory - the authorities should establish a definite process for Chagossian Britons instead of transferring our land to another country without consulting us," Ms Mandarin Calu said.

The global population of Chagossians is estimated to be about ten thousand, with a significant number of them residing in Mauritius, the Seychelles or the United Kingdom.