The UK Divisional Court last week found against the Chagossians’ challenge to the UK government’s 2016 decision to refuse to support or permit the resettlement of their Chagos Islands homeland. The case, brought by Chagos Refugees Group leader Olivier Bancoult and fellow native-born Chagossian Solange Horeau, challenged the legality of the government’s decision on a number of grounds. In particular, the challenge was made to the lawfulness of the failure to permit resettlemen

Thanks are due to Chagos Islands All-Party Group coordinator David Snoxell for the below summary. The Chagos Islands All-Party Parliamentary Group is a collection of MPs and peers from all political parties who come together to work on issues related to the Chagos Islands and the rights of the Chagossian people. The Chagos Islands (BIOT) All-Party Parliamentary Group held its 71st meeting on 12 December. Lord Horam (Conservative) was welcomed as a new member. There are curren

Monday saw the end of a four-day-long occupation of Trafalgar Square by Chagossian Islanders. The protesters set out to raise global awareness of their ongoing fight to return to their homeland, as well as the injustices the exiled community continue to suffer in Britain, Seychelles, and Mauritius. Over 100 Chagossians took part in the protest, from 80-year-old Marie Celeste down to the very youngest of the exiled community. This included survivors of the deportations of the

The Supreme Court will this Thursday make a judgement on whether the UK government acted improperly in establishing a Marine Protected Area around the Chagos Islands in 2010. The challenge is being brought by Oliver Bancoult, Chairperson of the Chagos Refugees Group. Evidence was heard on 29 June 2017, and now a verdict will be delivered on Thursday 8 February. The creation of the Marine Protected Area in 2010 has become controversial, owing to documents released by Wikileaks

On 14 May 2018, the High Court will begin to hear a judicial Review of the decision taken last November that the UK will not facilitate the return of Chagossians to their homeland. The decision was unexpected since it followed two Feasibility Studies which finally concluded there was no practical or legal obstacle to providing for resettlement of the Chagossian population which has lived in Exile since the deportations in the 1965-1973 period. Chagossians from Mauritius, led

Jessica Lobo, an environmental legal specialist, has recently published a fascinating paper on the future of the Chagos Marine Protected Area, and how it come evolve to facilitate a returned Chagossian community. In her paper, 'The Chagos Marine Protected Area: A Whole Kettle of Fish,' Ms Lobo argues that "adopting a model of community based conservation will better serve the Chagos Marine Protected Area, reconcile the conflicting interests and provide a more successful and

The latest UK government organised visit to the Chagos Islands will be going ahead at the end of October. The 12 day trip will be funded from the £40m support package announced last November when the UK government decided not to proceed with a Chagossian return programme. The visit, however, has been boycotted by several Chagossian groups, including the Chagos Refugees Group and the Seychelles Chagossian Committee. This is in protest that the UK will not allow Chagossians to

Last month, Andrew Mueller of the Monocle Magazine's The Foreign Desk hosted a panel of speakers to discuss the current issues surrounding the struggle for sovereignty and other bureaucratic issues the Chagossians face in their right to return. Frankie Bontemps, chairman of the Chagos Islanders Movement, Olivier Bancoult, chairman of Chagos Refugee Group in Mauritius and Steven Allen, the senior lecturer of Law at Queen Mary, University of London all contributed. The 25-mi

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Chagos Islands has held it's first meeting since the General Election. As it was the first meeting in this Parliamentary term, the group began the meeting by electing it's committee. The below summary is is provided as ever by the group's reappointed voluntary coordinator, David Snoxell. We pay tribute to the work of all APPG members, including those who lost their seat at this election. Paul Monaghan, Danny Kinahan and Mark Durkan wer

The Chagos Islands and their exiled people have featured notably in Parliamentary proceedings over the past week or so. Firstly the government issued a statement in the reaction to the UN General Assembly vote to refer the UK to International Court of Justice. In a written statement, Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan said the UK would "robustly" defend its sovereignty over the Chagos Islands. The statement also referenced the Chagossian people, stating that: "The UN Res

The UN General Assembly has voted to refer the UK to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) with regards to the validity of the nation's sovereignty claim over the Chagos Islands. The motion to refer the UK to the ICJ was proposed by Mauritius, which also holds a sovereignty claim over the Chagos Islands. Speaking prior to the vote, veteran Mauritian politician and Minister for Defence and Rodrigues Sir Anerood Jugnauth noted that he had spoken with Chagossians about the mo

Wednesday evening saw the UK Chagos Support Association put on a hustings event at the Broadfield Community Centre for the benefit of the Chagossian community in Crawley to help them decide which MP to vote for in the constituency in the general election next Thursday 8th June. The event was attended by the Conservative candidate Henry Smith who has represented the constituency since 2010, the labour candidate Tim Lunnon who is the current councillor for Broadfield South, and

Last Tuesday Chagossians gathered outside Taylor House in London to protest against deportations which continue to plague many Chagossian families in the UK. Many of the problems Chagossians face stem directly from the consequences of their deportation in late 1960s and early 1970s. The protest was a show of support for Stellio Larosee, a member of the Crawley community, who is facing deportation from Britain. But it was also intended to raise the profile of this issue and ur

The Association of Chagossians in the Seychelles have released a statement criticising the UK government's offer of a £40m support package for Chagossians across the Seychelles, Mauritius and the UK. Commenting on the package, the Association Chair Pierre Prosper said that the money "would not go far" In a statement reported by Seychelles News Agency, Mr Prosper urged the UK to consider a "fair settlement" instead, and also confirmed the Association would be challenging the p

The UK Labour Party have confirmed that, if they form the next government, they will restore Chagossians right to return to their homeland. This would reverse a decision taken by the previous Conservative government not to support a return programme, after the conclusion of a three-year policy review. This is the first time a major UK party has formally backed Chagossians right to return to their homeland. Not all party manifestos have yet been published, and we hope other pa

On 17 May a group of Chagossians, led by Chagos Refugees Group leader Oliver Bancoult, met with the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis. A strong Roman Catholic culture has been a distinct feature of unique Chagossian society, so marks an important step in their fight for justice. Speaking prior to the visit, Mr Bancoult was clear he hopes to convince The Pope to back the Chagossian people's fight for justice. He notes the interest the Pope has taken in refugees

Last month coordinator of the All-Party Group on the Chagos Islands David Snoxell gave a wide ranging interview on the future of the Chagos Islands, including his thoughts on how Chagossians could still win return to their homeland. Speaking to Mauritian current affairs magazine Weekly, Mr Snoxell, also a former High Commissioner to Mauritius, states Chagossians “right of abode is fundamental and remains inalienable.” He argues that even if the government refuses to support a

Allen Vincatassin, leader of the Diego Garcia and Chagos Islands Council, recently gave a short interview to RT’s current affiars magazine programme. In an interview segment, Mr Vincatassin expresses his disappointment that the UK government missed last year’s opportunity to start a return programme for the Chagossian community. He also rightly noted that even with the continuing presence of the US military base, Chagossians could return to Diego Garcia. Military facilities o

Ministers have made fresh comments on Chagossian access to their homeland in recent weeks. In response to a Written Question from Lord Ramsbotham, Foreign Office Minister Baroness Anelay said it was "unlikely that approval would be granted... for an civilian aircraft carrying visitors to the Island." This was in response to a question asking whether the UK government could charter a plane to support Chagossians to visit and work in the Chagos Islands. The question and answer

On Thursday 23rd February the British High Commission released a press statement to quash rumours and clarify intentions in light of recent press articles covering the announcement of the £40million support package made by the British government to the Chagossian community. In the statement the High Commission wished to make clear first and foremost that the £40million support package was not made in exchange for the right of Chagossians to resettle in the British Indian Ocea