Tamils arriving in UK after three years stranded on Diego Garcia speak of relief

The group found themselves in Diego Garcia – part of the Chagos Islands – in October 2021 after a boat in which they were travelling got into difficulty. Photograph: Reuters

Dozens of people stranded in hellish conditions for more than three years on the remote Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia have arrived in the UK and told of their relief that their journey is over.

Lawyers and campaigners hailed the arrival of 47 Sri Lankan Tamils on Monday night as a “big day for justice”, with a further eight arriving on Tuesday morning from Rwanda, where they had been receiving medical treatment. Twelve children were among them.