In my letter that was published a week ago (13 October), I suggested the plight of the 60 Sri Lankans detained for the last three years on Diego Garcia could be eased if they were now moved to a suitable adjacent Chagossian island as a result of the Mauritius-UK agreement.
There is now a new agreement between the UK and St Helena governments. On 16 October, the St Helena government announced that any migrants arriving at the Chagos Islands will be transferred to St Helena. It states: “This arrangement will apply to any migrants arriving on the BIOT/Chagos archipelago from today. It will last for 18 months or until a UK agreement with Mauritius concerning the Chagos archipelago comes into force.” However, the 60 Sri Lankans are excluded from this agreement. Their plight remains unresolved.
Vince Thompson
Editor, The St Helena Independent
