Evicted Chagos Islanders’ descendants to get British citizenship

The Chagos Islands are known as the British Indian Ocean Territory. Photograph: Pictures from History/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Descendants of Chagos Islanders forcibly evicted by the British in the 1970s will soon be able to apply to become British citizens, the Home Office has said.

After legal challenges by Chagossians, the government has also waived fees for applicants who descend from former inhabitants of the Indian Ocean archipelago.