Trapped on an island
Three years ago, a boat of people fleeing persecution in Sri Lanka landed on Diego Garcia, a British colonial island in the Indian Ocean. They claimed asylum upon arrival – and have been stuck awaiting a verdict since.
Asylum has never previously been claimed on Diego Garcia. The island is part of a territory colonised by Britain in 1814, now used as a high-security military base by the UK and US.
British authorities have reportedly said the 60 asylum seekers from Sri Lanka won't be allowed to enter the UK, even if their claims are accepted. But it's unclear where they will go, as no third countries are currently willing to receive them and the island is out of bounds for most civilians.
Meanwhile, an ongoing legal trial is assessing whether the asylum seekers have been unlawfully detained by British authorities. These people have been held within a small, fenced area amounting to ”arbitrary detention”, according to the UN's refugee agency. First-hand testimonies have described prison-like living conditions with limited access to medical care and rodent-infestations.
Reports have also surfaced of physical abuse by guards employed through private security company G4S, which rejects these claims. Yet the situation remains murky. In September, media was permitted access to the island for the first time since the legal trial began, albeit under heavily restricted conditions. Their ability to report on the court case and freedom of movement were limited, as well as disclosing the restrictions themselves.