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The British authorities is facing calls to support Chagos Islanders who require temporary housing after a increase of them came in the country to claim their right to UK nationality.

Rising Figures at London Airport

Hillingdon Council said 152 Chagossians had landed at the airport in the area this period so far, bringing the total to more than 600 since last July.

The Tory-run council says it anticipates to spend two million pounds this financial year on its legal duty to support without accommodation British-Chagossians, straining limited accommodation options and "damaging" its finances.

Historical Context of the Chagos Situation

The Chagos Archipelago in the ocean was transformed into a defense installation in the sixties and the entire population was forced to move, primarily to Mauritius or the Seychelles islands.

In 2002, a restricted group of islanders were granted the right to full British citizenship. Thousands now live in the UK, comprising an expat population of three thousand in Crawley.

Recent Developments

In late 2022, the government launched a new citizenship pathway which was widened to all individuals of Chagossian descent, residing anywhere in the world, permitting them to be recognised as British citizens free of charge.

Grown-ups have half a decade, from 23 November 2022, to claim UK citizenship. Children delivered within the five-year application time have until they are twenty-three to submit their application.

Government Position

The British authorities said islanders were required to make their own housing arrangements prior to journeying and argued the influx of arrivals was "completely unrelated" to the Chagos Islands deal with the Mauritian government.

"Chagossians travelling to the United Kingdom are expected to make housing arrangements prior to arrival," a official representative said.

Authority Worries

Hillingdon Council says it is at danger of going effectively bankrupt and has submitted a request for special funding from the central authorities.

It is aiming to reduce expenditure by £38m this year, the largest savings target the council has ever attempted.

"It's overwhelming the council," a council representative said. "It's diverting hard-earned taxpayers' money from essential provisions."

Individual Experiences

Damien Dursonial, 35, arrived at the airport with his spouse and two children, four and six years old, on Wednesday.

Originally from Mauritius, where he served as a police constable, he accumulated funds for two years and sold his motorcycle to pay for the air travel to the UK.

"I came to the UK because it was the only place where we could experience security, valued and acknowledged as a British citizen," he said.

Ongoing Challenges

Hillingdon Council established a pop-up processing centre in the borough this week to handle the increase in newcomers.

Councils have a legal duty to assist qualified individuals who are without homes and supply short-term housing for households with children.

The authority says it is facing challenges to support refugees housed in the borough by the Home Office.

Financial Pressure

"I'm urging the government to act appropriately," the council representative said. "Stop this burden on Hillingdon taxpayers. The budget is depleting."

The authority had written to government officials asking for funding to support islanders but had failed to get any replies.

Islander Viewpoint

A community representative, who works with a community group, said numerous British-Chagossians were temporarily settling in the UK while they remain to return to their homeland.

"The Chagos Islands is a British Overseas Territory - the authorities should establish a definite process for Chagossian Britons instead of handing our territory to a foreign nation without consulting us," she said.

The global population of Chagossians is estimated to be about ten thousand, with a significant number of them living in the island nation, the Seychelles islands or the UK.