The Home Office has started a new application process for those of Chagossian ancestry seeking British citizenship or citizenship in one of the British Overseas Territories. While the Chagossians continue to struggle to return to their native land, this is a positive step for Britain in recognising and redressing the treatment of Chagossians.
The British Indian Ocean Territory was established when Britain used to control the islands. To make room for the United States to build a military facility, the UK deported all islanders between 1967 and 1973, sending them to Mauritius and the Seychelles. Many islanders who were unable to return home faced homelessness and poverty. The Chagossians received British citizenship in 2002 when the UK chose to extend citizenship to residents of British Overseas Territories. This only extended to those who were born there, as well as to their children. Families were often broken since it did not apply to grandchildren or great-grandchildren. An amendment to the Nationality and Borders Act was finally added earlier this year after years of activism and opposition from the government. People of Chagossian ancestry now have a five-year window to apply to become British citizens.
A guide for candidates has been released by the Home Office, and the application procedure began on 23rd November 2022. People can simultaneously seek for citizenship in both British Overseas Territories and the United Kingdom, and most of them will be granted both if they are accepted. If the applicant already has either the first or second option, they may use this application to apply for and receive the substitute. It is possible to submit applications both online and on paper.
Applicants must show, through birth certificates and identification documents, that they are a direct descendant of someone who was born in the Chagos Islands. Medical or dental records, marriage certificates, court records, and records of name changes are examples of additional documentation that can be used to prove a direct line of descent.
Given the circumstances surrounding the forcible removal and deportation of Chagossians from their homes, obtaining documentation demonstrating that applicants are in fact descendants is likely to be one of their top concerns. Where materials or information within a document is missing, applicants should explain this in their application. The British Indian Ocean Territory government is currently digitising the records it has on hand so that people can have access to them digitally.
Adults will have 5 years from the commencement of the measure to make an application. Those who are children when the route is launched or who are born within the 5-year application period after commencement, will have until they are 23 years old to claim this entitlement to British nationality.