HL Deb 05 July 2004 vol 663 cc61-2WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many of the former residents of the Chagos Archipelago have resettled in Mauritius, the Seychelles and the United Kingdom respectively; and how many of each group have indicated that they would like to return to their original homes if they were allowed to do so. [HL3371]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean:

It is now more than 30 years since the last of the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago left the islands. There are no reliable figures for the numbers of them who are now living in Mauritius, Seychelles or the UK. However, there is a substantial community of persons in Mauritius who are either former residents of the Chagos islands or the descendants of such residents; and there are smaller such communities in Seychelles and the UK. There are no figures available for those members of these communities who have indicated that they would move to the Chagos Islands if they were allowed to do so.