Chagos Islanders 'terrified for the future' as Crawley Council shuts rest centre

WATCH: A group of Chagos Islanders, staying in temporary accommodation in Crawley, fear they could be made homeless, as Kit Bradshaw reports.

Dozens of people with family connections to the Chagos Islands fear they are about be made homeless in Crawley.

The group, from Mauritius, obtained UK passports through a citizenship scheme and have been staying at Northgate Community Centre in the town since arriving at Gatwick Airport two weeks ago.

Chagos Islanders and their direct descendants are entitled to British citizenship after they were expelled by the UK from their homeland in the 1960s and 70s to make way for a US military base.

Although Crawley Borough Council offered emergency accommodation to some, the remainder did not qualify, and had nowhere else to go.

The group from the Chagos Islands have been staying in makeshift emergency accommodation in Crawley. Credit: ITV Meridian

Officials had expected the rest centre to be open for 24-48 hours, to allow for those affected to make alternative arrangements. It has now been running for more than two weeks.

The local authority said the centre will close on Thursday, as they do not have the resources to keep running it with the election next week.

The borough council said it has approached the government for support, only to be told that it is "a local problem".

  • WATCH: Mary Elysee Douce, Chagos Islander

In a statement, Crawley Borough Council said: "On 10 June 2024, 52 UK citizens of Chagossian descent arrived from Mauritius. They were joined by a further 25 people who had previously made the same journey. These individuals had obtained UK passports through the Chagossian British Overseas Territories Citizenship scheme.

"On arrival none of these individuals had plans in place for accommodation. Following assessment 37 individuals remained without a place to stay, but also with no right to emergency accommodation. Given the numbers involved and the lack of other support available, we took the decision to open a rest centre on safety grounds...

"We have now run the rest centre, with the support of other agencies and charities, for more than two weeks. This has required a significant resource with many council staff volunteering to coordinate and support this effort.

"With the general election next week, we do not have the staffing resources to be able to continue this effort, and run the election at the same time. Accordingly we have approached relevant government departments for support, but they have insisted this is a local problem.

"We have reluctantly therefore had to inform those using the centre that it will now need to close. We continue to try and provide advice and guidance to those in the rest centre in the meantime, so they are fully aware of other support available."

Crawley Borough Council said it cannot continue to provide accommodation due to staffing issues with the upcoming general election. Credit: ITV Meridian

A government spokesperson said: "The UK Government is engaging with Crawley Borough Council as it works to assist new arrivals.

"In 2022, the UK Government created a new route for Chagossians to become British citizens, free of charge, and to build their future in the UK should they wish to.

"The UK Government has published guidance for Chagossians moving to the UK, which sets out their rights and responsibilities as British citizens. This includes making their own accommodation arrangements before they travel."

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