2008 - Returning Home

Unlike previous studies, this proposal for the Chagos Refugees Group (CRG) and the UK Chagos Support Association UKChSA) was the product of consultation with those directly affected by the injustice perpetrated over thirty years ago. The consultations were undertaken with members of the Chagossian community in Mauritius and Seychelles over several days in November 2007 and again with the CRG committee in February 2008.

On the basis of these consultations, various draft proposals were prepared by the adviser (John Howell, a Senior Research Associate and former Director of the Overseas Development Institute) engaged by the UKChSA to undertake the work in collaboration with the CRG and the Seychelles Chagossian Committee (SCC).

In addition to these consultations, Dr Howell held a several meetings in Mauritius with private sector and conservation groups and also with engineers and quantity surveyors. He also corresponded with a number of people with specialist interests in the Chagos Islands and invited corrections and comments on the various drafts.

Unlike the earlier BIOT feasibility studies, this work was conducted without the opportunity of site visits and without the financial resources to engage teams of consultants. For these reasons, it is not claimed to be a fully-fledged plan for resettlement. It is a proposal intended to contribute to the preparation of such a plan. However, despite these resource limitations, the proposal benefits from the considerable time and experience contributed by members of the UKChSA, the CRG under the leadership of Olivier Bancoult OSK, and the SCC under the leadership of Bernard Nourrice. This engagement assisted in ensuring that the proposal was as accurate and authoritative as possible.

In addition, a number of other people with specialist knowledge offered advice and assistance on a pro bono basis. These include: Richard Gifford (Clifford Chance), Dr Laura Jeffery (University of Edinburgh), Jonathan Jenness (planningAlliance, Toronto), Carl Jones (Mauritius Wildlife Foundation), Rev. Mario Li Hing (Scripture Union), Luis Melotte ( Hooloomann & Associates), Erroll Parker (Roches Noires Resorts), Dr Andries Putter (Neotel/Tata Group), David Snoxell (Marine Education Trust), Mark Spalding (The Nature Conservancy), Alain Talbot (Talbot Holding), Daniel Wong Chung (Wong Chung Consulting Engineers).

The consultation process described above and the publication of this proposal was funded by a grant to the UK Chagos Support Association from the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust.