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The UK government is under pressure to assist Chagos Islanders who need temporary housing after a wave of them arrived in the country to claim their right to UK nationality.

Growing Numbers at Heathrow

Hillingdon Council said over 150 Chagossians had arrived at Heathrow Airport in the borough this period so far, bringing the total to over 600 since last July.

The Tory-run council says it anticipates to allocate £2m this year on its statutory obligation to support homeless Chagossian British citizens, putting pressure on limited accommodation options and "breaking" its budget.

Background of the Chagos Situation

The Chagos Islands in the ocean was transformed into a defense installation in the sixties and the whole community was forced to move, mainly to the neighboring country or the Seychelles islands.

In 2002, a limited number of islanders were granted the opportunity to full British citizenship. Thousands now live in the United Kingdom, including an community of three thousand in Crawley.

Recent Developments

In November 2022, the authorities introduced a new British nationality route which was expanded to all individuals of Chagos heritage, living globally, permitting them to be acknowledged as British citizens without cost.

Grown-ups have five years, from November 2022, to apply for UK citizenship. Children delivered within the five-year application time have until they are twenty-three to apply.

Official Stance

The British authorities said Chagossians were required to arrange accommodation themselves before journeying and argued the arrival of newcomers was "totally unconnected" to the agreement with the Mauritian government.

"Chagossians travelling to the UK are expected to arrange their own accommodation before coming," a government spokesperson said.

Authority Worries

Hillingdon Council says it is at danger of going effectively bankrupt and has submitted a application for exceptional financial support from the government.

It is aiming to reduce expenditure by £38m this period, the largest savings target the authority has ever attempted.

"It's breaking the council," Steve Tuckwell said. "It's diverting hard-earned taxpayers' money from core services."

Individual Experiences

One Chagossian, thirty-five, arrived at the airport with his wife and two children, four and six years old, on midweek.

Originally from Mauritius, where he served as a officer, he saved up for 24 months and sold his motorcycle to cover the air travel to the United Kingdom.

"I traveled to the United Kingdom because it was the sole location where we could experience security, respected and recognised as a UK national," he said.

Ongoing Challenges

The authority opened a temporary facility in the borough this period to handle the increase in Chagossian arrivals.

Councils have a legal duty to help qualified individuals who are homeless and provide short-term housing for families with children.

The council says it is already struggling to support asylum seekers placed in the locality by the immigration authorities.

Financial Pressure

"I'm calling on the authorities to do the right thing," the council representative said. "Stop this burden on Hillingdon taxpayers. The budget is running dry."

The council had sent letters to ministers asking for funding to support islanders but had not received any replies.

Islander Viewpoint

Vanessa Mandarin Calu, who collaborates with a community group, said many Chagossian Britons were temporarily settling in the United Kingdom while they wait to return to their ancestral land.

"Our homeland is a UK territory - the government should create a definite process for British-Chagossians instead of transferring our land to another country without seeking our input," she said.

The worldwide community of Chagossians is calculated to be about ten thousand, with a significant number of them living in the island nation, the Seychelles islands or the United Kingdom.