(Commonwealth_Europe) After spending more than three years in appalling conditions on the remote Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, dozens of people have finally arrived in the UK. On Monday night, 47 Sri Lankan Tamils landed in the UK, followed by another eight the next morning, who had been receiving medical treatment in Rwanda. Among the group were twelve children.
The individuals found themselves on Diego Garcia, a part of the Chagos Islands recently returned to Mauritius by the UK, in October 2021, after their boat, attempting to reach Canada for asylum, ran into trouble. Their arrival on the tropical island posed significant challenges for successive UK home secretaries, as they feared it could potentially establish a new migration route. Legal battles regarding their fate had been ongoing, with judges and legal teams travelling to the island to assess whether the Tamils were being unlawfully detained.
A government spokesperson referred to the move as a “one-off” due to the exceptional nature of the situation, adding that the current administration had inherited a deeply troubling scenario that had remained unresolved under the previous government.
Tessa Gregory, from the UK law firm Leigh Day, which represents some of the Tamils, expressed hope for the group’s future, stating that they had endured 38 months of detention in the filthiest of conditions. She emphasized that the group now had the opportunity to seek safety and begin rebuilding their lives. The UK government has made it clear that they will not allow future asylum seekers arriving via Diego Garcia to settle in the UK. Instead, they will send any new arrivals to Saint Helena, 5,000 miles away, and process asylum claims in Mauritius once they finalize the deal to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, excluding the US military base on Diego Garcia.
While on Diego Garcia, the Tamils lived in rat-infested, leaking tents, where they endured numerous challenges, including mass suicide attempts, hunger strikes, and self-harm incidents. There were also allegations of sexual assault and harassment within the camp. Two men with unlawful principles, as well as one under inquiry, continue on the island. Diego Garcia had granted international protection to eight of the Tamils. The immigration rules have now granted them six months’ entry into the UK, albeit without the ability to work. The group’s faith remains uncertain after this period.
Simon Robinson, from Duncan Lewis Solicitors, who also represents some of the Tamils, expressed his satisfaction at the outcome. He called it “a big day for justice,” marking the end of years of inhumane detention and an opportunity for the group to start afresh in the UK.
