Migrants moved from secretive UK military island after three years

The distant Indian Ocean area of Diego Garcia has welcomed workers who have been stranded in the UK for more than three years.

According to records obtained by the BBC, the Sri Lankan Tamils are permitted to remain there for six weeks while receiving financial assistance from the Foreign Office.

Their return to the British marks the conclusion of centuries of nuanced legal battles that have spanned thousands of miles over their fate, but their long-term prospect is still questionable.

Most of the group of around 60 migrants have been living in a makeshift camp on Diego Garcia – the site of a strategic UK-US military base – since October 2021, when they became the first people ever to file asylum claims there.

A government spokesman on Monday described the action as “one-off, due to the exceptional nature of these situations and in the passions of their happiness.”

The spokesperson stated that” this government inherited a deeply troubling circumstance that remained unsettled for years under the previous administration.”

It was the “only reasonable solution to end the charitable issue” on the island, according to Tessa Gregory of the UK legislation firm Leigh Day, which represents some of the workers.

16 children from this vulnerable group have been detained for 38 weeks on Crown property under the most impoverished conditions, according to her statement.

The BBC gained unprecedented access earlier this year to Diego Garcia and the migrant camp there, where the Tamils were housed in groups in military tents, some of which had leaks and rats nesting inside.

There were many self-harm and suicide attempts during the island’s period of time, which included numerous hunger strikes and several instances of self-harm and suicide. After that, some people were transported to Rwanda for medical care.

In the camp, there were also claims of abuse and sexual assault.

Refugees have described their experience as “hell.”

The UK will also welcome those who are in Rwanda on a journey on Tuesday morning.

One told the BBC:” I hope to change a new website. I hope that my health will improve and that I will start to feel like a new man.

The area is still home to two people who have been convicted of crimes and one who is facing an investigation, according to the BBC.

The Tamils ‘ appearance in the UK comes amid uncertainty over the territory’s coming.

The UK announced in October that it was ceding control of the Chagos Islands, of which Diego Garcia is part, to Mauritius. But the new Mauritian prime minister has said he has reservations over the deal, which was struck by his predecessor and has still to be signed, and has asked for an independent review.

Some UK officials and Donald Trump’s supporters are opposed to the agreement, according to some political figures in the country.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has played down the criticism, describing it as a “good deal” for both Mauritius and the UK, and saying it addresses US concerns about the future of the Diego Garcia base.

The majority of this is categorized under “migrant costs,” with the country costing the UK tens of millions of pounds in recent years.

Foreign Office leaders ‘ contacts were made by the BBC in July, warning that” the prices are increasing and the latest forecast is that these will be £50m per year” if they were to continue it.

The Home Office sent the Peoples on Friday a letter to them outlining their “long-term options,” and that they were being given temporary access certification to the UK “outside of the immigration guidelines.”

The team would not be permitted to work, it claimed, and that the present did not” form permanent settlement in the UK or the acknowledgement of immigrant status by the UK authorities.”

The government says the Chagos Islands, known as the British Indian Ocean Territory ( Biot ), are” constitutionally distinct” from the UK, with the unusual status leading to the long legal dispute.

The majority of Tamils have been awaiting final decisions regarding their appeals against rejections or final decisions regarding claims for global security, which the UN calls equivalent to refugee status.

In total, eight have been granted global security, meaning they may be returned to Sri Lanka, the BBC understands.

Successive governments have recently stated that importing Tamils to the UK may run the risk of introducing a “backdoor movement route.”

However, the government claimed on Monday that plans had been made to prevent this from occurring, citing a bargain to take incoming visitors to St Helena, another UK place, 5, 000 kilometers away.

Once a full agreement on Mauritius ‘ sovereignty is in place, they will therefore assume responsibility for any additional migrants, according to the director.