Deported from their own country

In the middle of the Indian Ocean lies a relatively unknown island by the name of Diego Garcia. It’s home to one of America’s most important military bases—and a history of human rights abuse. The island was confiscated in 1966 from the local population of Chagossians in secret deals between the governments of the U.S. and U.K., resulting in the forced displacement of more than 2,000.

The Chagos Archipelago, whose largest island is Diego Garcia, is a British territory. In the 1960s, it was separated from Mauritius, a former British colony, for military use and turned into a British Indian Ocean Territory. In 1966, the U.S. negotiated a deal with the U.K. to set up military bases on the island. As a result, thousands of Chagossians were displaced and sent to nearby Mauritius or the Seychelles.

Sabrina Jean, chair of the U.K. Chagos Refugees Group, was one of those refugees. She grew up in Mauritius and now resides in London with her elderly father, husband, and three children. A second-generation Chagossian, she longs for the sandy beaches and clear blue waters of her homeland, she says. Jean estimates that nearly 3,000 second- and third-generation Chagossians live in the U.K.



Now it seems the British are doing the same in the Ascension island.
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Comments (4)

Like Guantanamo .....or Guam?
Interesting blog, Thanks Ian,handshake Sure makes a person wonder how much of this is going on that we re unaware of,confused
yea ken..cats and apple turnovers just don't seem to float my boat I'm afraid.
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