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The British authorities is facing calls to support Chagos Islanders who need short-term accommodation after a wave of them arrived in the country to claim their entitlement to UK nationality.

Rising Figures at London Airport

The local authority said 152 islanders had landed at Heathrow Airport in the area this period so far, bringing the total to over 600 since July last year.

The Tory-run council says it expects to allocate two million pounds this financial year on its legal duty to support homeless British-Chagossians, putting pressure on stretched accommodation options and "breaking" its finances.

Background of the Islanders' Plight

The Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean was transformed into a military base in the sixties and the entire population was forced to move, primarily to Mauritius or the Seychelles islands.

In the year 2002, a limited number of islanders were given the opportunity to full British citizenship. Several thousand now reside in the UK, including an community of three thousand in Crawley.

Current Situation

In late 2022, the government launched a fresh British nationality route which was expanded to all individuals of Chagossian descent, living anywhere in the world, permitting them to be recognised as British citizens free of charge.

Grown-ups have five years, from 23 November 2022, to claim British nationality. Minors born within the application period have until they are twenty-three to apply.

Government Position

The UK government said Chagossians were required to arrange accommodation themselves prior to journeying and argued the influx of arrivals was "totally unconnected" to the Chagos Islands deal with Mauritius.

"Islanders coming to the United Kingdom are required to make housing arrangements prior to arrival," a government spokesperson said.

Local Council Concerns

Hillingdon Council says it is at risk of going effectively bankrupt and has put in a application for exceptional financial support from the central authorities.

It is planning to reduce expenditure by thirty-eight million pounds this year, the biggest reduction goal the authority has ever undertaken.

"It's overwhelming the authority," Steve Tuckwell said. "It's diverting hard-earned taxpayers' money from essential provisions."

Personal Stories

One Chagossian, thirty-five, landed at the airport with his spouse and kids, aged four and six, on midweek.

Born in Mauritius, where he served as a police constable, Mr Dursonial accumulated funds for 24 months and disposed of his bike to cover the air travel to the United Kingdom.

"I traveled to the UK because it was the sole location where we could experience security, valued and recognised as a UK national," Mr Dursonial said.

Continuing Difficulties

The authority opened a pop-up processing centre in the area this week to deal with the increase in newcomers.

Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to assist qualified individuals who are homeless and supply temporary accommodation for families with children.

The council says it is already struggling to assist asylum seekers placed in the borough by the Home Office.

Financial Pressure

"I'm calling on the government to act appropriately," the council representative said. "End this pressure on Hillingdon taxpayers. The bank account is depleting."

The authority had sent letters to ministers asking for financial support to assist islanders but had failed to get any responses.

Community Perspective

Vanessa Mandarin Calu, who works with a community group, said many Chagossian Britons were temporarily settling in the UK while they wait to go back to their ancestral land.

"Our homeland is a UK territory - the government should establish a definite process for British-Chagossians instead of transferring our land to another country without consulting us," Ms Mandarin Calu said.

The global population of islanders is estimated to be about ten thousand, with many of them living in the island nation, the Seychelles islands or the UK.