§ 11. Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North) (Lab)In what circumstances Chagos islanders may visit the Chagos Islands. [183365]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Bill Rammell)Under the immigration law of the British Indian Ocean Territory, all persons other than members of the United Kingdom or United States armed forces and Government officials require a permit to visit any part of the territory, including both Diego Garcia and the outer islands. With regard to the Chagossians, we have twice put in hand preparations to organise a visit for them to the outer islands—most recently in 2002. Those plans fell through for reasons beyond our control, but we remain genuinely prepared to reinstate the visit, should the Chagossians make such a request.
§ Jeremy CorbynDoes the Minister not accept that the Orders in Council signed on 10 June, which prevent the Chagossian people from exercising the right to return to the islands that they won in the High Court in this country in 2000, is an absolute disgrace? Does he not 1252 also accept that this issue should be debated on a substantive motion before the House and not be hidden behind Orders in Council? The reality is that pressure from the United States on the British Government overturned the legitimate court order made in this country regarding the legitimate right of return of the Chagossian people. Is it not time that the Minister met representatives of the Chagossian community to sort this out, so that those people can exercise their legitimate right to return to the islands from which they were quite disgracefully removed in the 1970s?
§ Mr. RammellI have already met the legal adviser for the Chagossians. I have also met my hon. Friend and the Father of the House to discuss their concerns on this issue, and I am more than happy to meet any other representatives who have similar concerns. We cannot change what happened in the past. We are legislating on the situation as it is today, some 33 years after the islands were depopulated. Successive British Governments have compensated substantially in regard to this issue, and we are trying to take this process forward. We most certainly took this decision on our own account, and not because of any representations made by the United States Government.
§ Mr. David Heath (Somerton and Frome) (LD)Many in the House will find that very difficult to believe. Many people feel that the, treatment of the islanders by the British Government has been shameful over many years, and this latest expedition just confirms how little the British Government have done to protect their interests. Would it not be more honest simply to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to the United States, perhaps in return for an appropriate sum, rather than maintaining the pretence that we have any interest in serving their inhabitants?
§ Mr. RammellIf that is a substantive contribution, I am not sure that it meets up to the situation that we are facing. I would ask the hon. Gentleman to reflect on what he would have done had he been in Government and been presented with the independently conducted feasibility study that made it abundantly clear that maintaining long-term inhabitation was likely to be prohibitive, and that resettlement of the islands would be precarious. In those circumstances, it would be unreasonable for any Government to permit repopulation 33 years after the Chagossians left the islands. I am not absolving the British Government of responsibility. As I said, successive British Governments have compensated substantially on this issue, but to alloy, a return at this stage would be unreasonable in the present circumstances.