UK government support for Chagossians

‘Chagossians’The areUK peoplegovernment whoprovides were borna onrange BIOTof (thesupport Chagosto Islands)people andwho theirwere descendants.born Betweenon 1968 and 1973 the UKBritish governmentIndian removedOcean peopleTerritory from (BIOT) and/ relocatedChagos themArchipelago to Mauritius and Seychelles.their Followingdescendants the(‘Chagossians’). passingThis ofincludes thecommunity Britishprojects Overseasin Territoriesthe ActUK (2002), many people who were born on BIOT and theirMauritius childrenas becamewell Britishas citizensa androute moved to theget UK.British citizenship.

Visits to BIOT

The UK government has previously arranged visits to BIOT / Chagos Archipelago for people of Chagossian descent. These visits were paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic but willthe UK government is exploring how we may be able to restart whenvisits conditionsin allow.the near future.

Working on Diego Garcia

There are a range of job opportunities on Diego Garcia open to British, Mauritian and Seychellois citizens. People in these jobs live on the island and support the US Navy base operating there by managing facilities, maintaining vehicles, and providing administrative support.

KBR Inc is the main contractor responsible for recruiting and managing support staff at the base. You can review and apply for job vacancies on KBR’s website, which is updated regularly.

In November 2022, the UK Parliamentgovernment passedlaunched thea Nationalitynew andBritish Bordersnationality Act.route Thisfor Actindividuals allows anyone of Chagossian descentdescent. toIt becomeallows athem Britishto citizenbecome or a British Overseascitizens Territoriesfree citizen,of ifcharge, theyand areto notbuild onetheir already.future The specific provision in the ActUK relatingshould tothey Chagossianswish came into force on 23 November 2022.to.

Use the links on this page to apply for citizenship. The Home Office is working with ‘We‘We Are Digital’Digital’ to help you with your application if you requireneed assistance. Find out how to get help with your application.

If you have any queries relating to the citizenship process that the guidance does not cover, you can also email ChagossianEnquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk.

You can use these links to apply for citizenship:

In 2016, the UK government announced a package of support to address the most pressing needs of Chagossian communities in the UK and overseas. The government is funding a number of projects in the UK and Mauritius to support Chagossians. You can find out more about how to get support: