§ Mr. Hilary BennTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the position of the former residents of Diego Garcia. [132386]
§ Mr. HainI am aware that some of the former residents (Ilois) of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) seek a right of return, and to this end proceedings have been brought in the High Court in London which challenge the validity of the BIOT Immigration Ordinance. The matter is still before the Court. The outer islands of the territory have been uninhabited for 30 years so any resettlement would present serious problems both because of the practical feasibility and in relation to our treaty obligations. But a study has been commissioned from independent consultants to consider the former issues in more detail.
Most of the Ilois live in Mauritius where they are Mauritian citizens. Since they left the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Her Majesty's Government has given over £4 million to the Government of Mauritius to assist with their integration into Mauritian society.