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Diego Garcia welcomes a joint Anglo-American military base
Migrants stranded for more than three years on the remote Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia have been brought to the UK.
Sri Lankan Tamils are allowed to stay in the country for six months, with financial support from the Foreign Office, according to documents seen by the BBC.
Their journey to the UK marks the end of years of complex legal battles fought over thousands of miles over their fate, but their long-term future remains uncertain.
Most of the approximately 60 migrants have been living in a makeshift camp in Diego Garcia – the site of a strategic Anglo-American military base – since October 2021, when they became the first to apply for asylum there.
On Monday, a government spokesperson described the decision as “one-off, due to the exceptional nature of these cases and in the interest of their well-being.”
“This government inherited a deeply troubling situation that went unresolved for years under the last administration,” the spokesperson said.
Tessa Gregory, of the British law firm Leigh Day, which represents some migrants, said it was “the only sensible solution to end the humanitarian crisis” on the island.
“This vulnerable group, which includes 16 children, spent 38 months in detention in the most squalid conditions on Crown land… we hope our clients can now seek safe haven and begin to rebuild their lives,” she declared.
The BBC gained unprecedented access earlier this year to Diego Garcia and the migrant camp, where Tamils were housed in groups in military tents, some of which were leaking and rats were nesting inside.
During their time on the island, there were multiple hunger strikes and numerous incidents of self-harm and suicide attempts in response to the conditions, after which some people were transferred to Rwanda for treatment.
There have also been allegations of sexual assault and harassment within the camp.
Migrants told the BBC it was like living in “hell”.
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Tamils were housed in groups in military tents
Those from Rwanda were also brought to the UK and arrived on a flight on Tuesday morning.
One told the BBC: “I hope to turn over a new leaf. I hope my health improves and I transform into a new person.”
Two men with criminal convictions and another under investigation remain on the island, according to BBC information.
The arrival of Tamils in the United Kingdom comes in a context of uncertainty about the future of the territory.
The United Kingdom announced in October that it was ceding control of the Chagos Islands, which includes Diego Garcia, to Mauritius. But the new Mauritian Prime Minister expressed his reservations about the agreement concluded by his predecessor and which has not yet been signed, and called for an independent review.
The deal faces opposition from some British politicians and allies of US President-elect Donald Trump.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy played down the criticism, describing it as a “good deal” for both Mauritius and the UK, and saying it addressed US concerns over the future of the base by Diego Garcia.
In recent years, the Territory has cost the UK tens of millions of pounds, with most of this classified as 'migrant costs'.
Communications obtained by the BBC between Foreign Office officials in July warned that “costs are increasing and the latest forecasts are that they will be £50 million a year” if they were to remain there.
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Diego Garcia is part of the Chagos Islands
In letters sent to the Tamils by the Home Office on Friday, they were told they were being granted temporary entry permission to the UK “outside immigration rules” to allow them to consider their “long-term options”.
He stressed that the offer did not “constitute permanent settlement in the UK or recognition of refugee status by the UK government”, and said the group would not be allowed to work.
The government says the Chagos Islands, known as the British Indian Ocean Territory (Biot), are “constitutionally distinct” from the UK, with this unusual status having led to a lengthy legal dispute.
Most Tamils are awaiting a final decision on their applications for international protection – which the United Nations says is akin to refugee status – or are appealing a refusal.
In total, eight have been granted international protection, meaning they cannot be returned to Sri Lanka, according to the BBC.
Successive governments have previously said that bringing Tamils to the UK risks creating a “backdoor migration route”.
But the government said on Monday that arrangements had been made to ensure that did not happen, citing an agreement to send future arrivals to St Helena, another British territory about 5,000 miles away.
“Once a sovereignty agreement with Mauritius is fully in place, they will then take responsibility for all future migrants,” the spokesperson said.
