UN Urges Immediate Relocation of Asylum Seekers from Diego Garcia

Following a UN report, calls intensify for the urgent transfer of 61 asylum seekers facing unsafe conditions and arbitrary detention on the remote island.

• A UN report highlights unsafe conditions, including sexual assaults and harassment, faced by asylum seekers on Diego Garcia, a remote British island territory.
• The asylum seekers, mostly Sri Lankan Tamils, have been stranded for over two years, with incidents of self-harm and suicide attempts reported.
• Conditions on the island amount to arbitrary detention, with asylum seekers living in a fenced area and requiring security escort to leave.
• The UK Foreign Office asserts that Diego Garcia is not suitable for migrants, emphasizing efforts to process claims and find a third country for relocation.
• UNHCR calls for the urgent relocation of the asylum seekers and expedited decisions on their international protection claims.

3 Articles

The Telegraph The Guardian BBC