Chagossians trying to resettle on islands defy removal order

Reality Check
By Editor_1
Misley Mandarin (L) says the British will have to "drag me from my beach" - BBC

By Joshua Nevett

LONDON – A group of Chagossians are refusing to obey a removal order issued by British authorities, after landing on the Chagos Islands to protest against a deal to hand over the territory to Mauritius.

The four Chagossians arrived on a remote part of the archipelago on Monday (16) after sailing from Sri Lanka, with the aim of establishing a permanent settlement on their “homeland”.

A British patrol vessel found the men, and officials served them with eviction papers, which warned them they could face fines or jail if they did not leave.

The British Foreign Office has branded their journey an “illegal, unsafe stunt” and said they do not pose any security risk to the UK-US military based on Diego Garcia.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “Under BIOT law, there is no legal right for anyone to enter the territory without a valid permit, regardless of their citizenship or heritage.”

Misley Mandarin, a British-Chagossian who is part of the group, told the BBC the British would have to “drag me from my beach” and “kill me” if they wanted him to leave.

Mandarin, who calls himself the first minister of a Chagossian government-in-exile, said the islands “belong to us” and urged the UK to “let Chagossians come back to their homeland as British”.

Lawyers supporting the Chagossians say they are prepared to go to court to appeal the removal orders.

The Imperium Chambers law firm said it had issued a letter challenging the legality of the removal orders against crew supporting the four Chagossians.

“The situation risks escalating into a humanitarian crisis,” said Kareesha Turner, an immigration lawyer.

“Chagossians are refusing to leave, and essential supplies may soon run out.”

The four are being supported by a crew on a vessel parked about 182m (200 yards) offshore from the Ile du Coin part of the Peros Banhos atoll.

They had sailed to the islands from Galle Harbour on the south-western coast of Sri Lanka.

Adam Holloway, the former Conservative MP for Gravesham in Kent, who has now defected to Reform UK, helped the Chagossians return to the territory and remains on the island to help build the settlement.

Holloway, a former army officer, said the deal to cede the islands to Mauritius was “completely crazy”.

“We’ve done this because Britain is about to make a catastrophically stupid mistake,” Holloway said.

“We are now in a world of great power play. The base at Diego Garcia is absolutely critical to the security of the West.”

One of the crew supporting the Chagossians said the former MP was hiding out in the jungle and had not been served eviction papers.

The removal orders were issued by a British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) immigration official.

Footage shows the official arriving onshore in an inflatable small boat and handing over the eviction notice to Mandarin at a make-shift camp.

The crew supporting the Chagossians said the BIOT patrol boat had trouble getting ashore and borrowed their dinghy to serve the removal order.

Britain has controlled the Chagos Islands since 1814 and evicted its inhabitants in the 1960s to make way for a military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia.

The islands became formally established as an overseas territory in 1965, after the British government paid Mauritius a £3m grant to retain the archipelago.

But last year, the UK government agreed to hand over control of the islands to Mauritius, arguing the future of the military base had been threatened by recent international court decisions.

Under the deal, the UK has agreed to pay £101m annually for 99 years to keep control of the UK-US military base.

The deal is now in doubt, after US President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform to urge Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer not to “give away Diego Garcia”.

The deal has also not gone down well with many people of Chagossian descent, who were granted the right to claim British citizenship in 2022.

Many Chagossians see the deal as a betrayal and want to see the UK retain sovereignty over the islands so they can one day return to their homeland.

But while many do oppose the deal, Chagossians – who live in the UK, Mauritius and the Seychelles – do not speak with one voice.

Mandarin said removing the Chagossians from their homeland was a “stain on British politics” but said Sir Keir “could be a hero right now”.

“Don’t ratify that deal, cancel that deal and let Chagossians come back to their homeland as British,” said Mandarin, who was brought up in Mauritius but has been living and working in the UK for many years.

He issued a declaration of return after setting foot on the territory, claiming his “right of self-determination”. He expects more Chagossians to make the journey.

Mandarin and the other three Chagossians on the islands are backed by the Great British PAC, a right-wing British political pressure group.

The group runs communications operations advocating for or against certain policies, including the Chagos deal.

The Foreign Office said it is illegal to enter into the territory without a valid permit, and anyone who does so would be issued with a removal order.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The UK government recognises the importance of the islands to the Chagossian community and is working with Mauritius to resume a programme of heritage visits to the Chagos Archipelago. This kind of illegal, unsafe stunt is not the way to achieve that.

“The vessel does not pose any security risk to Diego Garcia.”

-BBC

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