Policy Review

The most recent Policy Review and Resettlement Feasibility Study ran from 2012 until 16 November 2016 when the Government announced that it had decided not to permit resettlement of the Chagos Archipelago. The timeline below briefly summarises the progress of this review.

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20 December 2012: Announcement of Policy Review on Resettlement

Following the conclusion of the case in the European Court of Human Rights, the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, announced that:

Now that this litigation is concluded, the Government will take stock of our policy towards the resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), as we have always said we would. There are fundamental difficulties with resettlement in BIOT, but we will be as positive as possible in our engagement with Chagossian groups and all interested parties.

26 June 2013: Initial Submissions from 'stakeholders' and Chagossian Groups

The FCO formally announced that it was taking submissions for the review:

As you may be aware, on 18 December 2012, the Foreign Secretary said he was going to take stock of our policy towards the resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory. Since then there has been discussion at the highest level on the future of BIOT and our evolving policy.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is to start the process of engaging all relevant stakeholders as part of the initial stages of this review. Some stakeholders will have been contacted already and we hope to hold face-to-face meetings with as wide a cross section as possible during this planning process.

We are very keen to hear all views on the key/main policy changes that interested parties would like to see. I am aware, for example, that a new feasibility study is something that a number of stakeholders would like us to put forward. This will enable us to give Ministers options on how to proceed, based on a wide range of views.

7 April 2014: Feasibility Study by KPMG

Minister Mark Simmonds announced that a Feasibility Study had been commissioned from the consultancy firm KPMG:

I recently travelled to BIOT to gain a first-hand understanding of the realities of the Territory: it is a genuinely unique environment, with breathtaking natural beauty. And it was useful to meet the British and American teams on Diego Garcia, a facility which provides significant strategic value to the UK and our allies.

........ Though the challenges of resettlement are obvious to anyone who visits BIOT, the Government remains firmly committed to looking transparently and with an open mind at this question. The independent study, announced by the Foreign Secretary in December 2012, is now well underway. I welcome the work already done with representatives of Chagossian communities and other parties to agree the resettlement options that our independent consultants KPMG are now going to examine.

10 February 2015: Feasibility Report by KPMG

KPMG Final Report was released by the FCO. The Minister of State at the FCO, Hugo Swire announced that:

Whilst recognising the options in KPMG’s report are not exhaustive even for resettlement, the report provides a solid basis on which to begin our Policy Review. The government will need to consider carefully the study’s factual findings alongside a range of factors, including the history of the territory and its former population, ongoing costs and liabilities to the UK taxpayer, the ability of the military facility on Diego Garcia to operate unhindered and other Chagossian aspirations that do not involve permanent resettlement of BIOT.

24 March 2015: Policy Review progress

James Duddridge, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the FCO) announced that:

The [KPMG] study found there was not a clear indication of likely demand for resettlement, and costs and liabilities to the UK taxpayer were uncertain and potentially significant. Ministers have now agreed that further work should proceed to address these fundamental uncertainties to a point that a decision on the way ahead is possible.

4 August 2015: FCO launched a "Consultation with Interested Parties"

The FCO asked for input in particular from members of the Chagossian communities:

On 24 March 2015 the UK Government announced that the independent feasibility study showed that there was not a clear indication of the likely demand for resettlement, and costs and liabilities to the UK taxpayer were uncertain and potentially significant. Ministers asked for more information on these areas to enable a decision on the way ahead. Further work is currently underway led by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in consultation with other government departments to clarify these areas. As part of this further work, the UK Government is running a consultation exercise between August and October 2015 to seek views from Chagossians and other interested parties on the areas listed below:

• i) How many Chagossians want to resettle in BIOT?
• ii) The UK Government’s latest assessment of the likely costs and liabilities to the UK taxpayer.
• iii) Alternative options not involving resettlement that could respond to Chagossian aspirations.

The consultation ran until 27 October 2015.

21 January 2016: "Summary of Responses to Public Consultation"

The FCO published its summary of the consultation responses it had received.

16 November 2016: Government decision not to permit resettlement announced

Baroness Anelay of St Johns (FCO Minister) gave a written statement to Parliament:

I would now like to inform Parliament of two decisions which have been made concerning the future of BIOT.

Parliament will be aware of the Government’s review and consultation over the resettlement of the Chagossian people to BIOT. The manner in which the Chagossian community was removed from the Territory in the 1960s and 1970s, and the way they were treated, was wrong and we look back with deep regret. We have taken care in coming to our final decision on resettlement, noting the community’s emotional ties to BIOT and their desire to go back to their former way of life.

This comprehensive programme of work included an independent feasibility study followed by a full public consultation in the UK, Mauritius and the Seychelles.

I am today announcing that the Government has decided against resettlement of the Chagossian people to the British Indian Ocean Territory on the grounds of feasibility, defence and security interests, and cost to the British taxpayer. In coming to this decision the Government has considered carefully the practicalities of setting up a small remote community on low-lying islands and the challenges that any community would face. These are significant, and include the challenge of effectively establishing modern public services, the limited healthcare and education that it would be possible to provide, and the lack of economic opportunities, particularly job prospects. The Government has also considered the interaction of any potential community with the US Naval Support Facility – a vital part of our defence relationship.

The Government will instead seek to support improvements to the livelihoods of Chagossians in the communities where they now live. I can today announce that we have agreed to fund a package of approximately £40 million over the next ten years to achieve this goal. This money addresses the most pressing needs of the community by improving access to health and social care and to improved education and employment opportunities. Moreover, this fund will support a significantly expanded programme of visits to BIOT for native Chagossians. The Government will work closely with Chagossian communities in the UK and overseas to develop cost-effective programmes which will make the biggest improvement in the life chances of those Chagossians who need it most.

Parliament will also be aware that the agreements underpinning the UK/US defence facility will roll over automatically on 31 December if neither side breaks silence. In an increasingly dangerous world, the defence facility is used by us and our allies to combat some of the most difficult problems of the 21st century including terrorism, international criminality, instability and piracy. I can today confirm that the UK continues to welcome the US presence, and that the agreements will continue as they stand until 30 December 2036.