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Chagos exiles ruling overturned Chagos exiles ruling overturned
(20 minutes later)
Exiled residents of the Chagos Islands have had the right to return to their Indian Ocean homeland overturned by the House of Lords.Exiled residents of the Chagos Islands have had the right to return to their Indian Ocean homeland overturned by the House of Lords.
The government won its appeal against a court decision that had ruled in favour of 2,000 former residents of the British overseas territory.The government won its appeal against a court decision that had ruled in favour of 2,000 former residents of the British overseas territory.
They were evicted in the 1960s when the colony was leased to the US to build an airbase on the atoll of Diego Garcia.
The Law Lords decision is the final judgement in the long-running case.The Law Lords decision is the final judgement in the long-running case.
The former residents were evicted from the islands between 1967 and 1971 as part of a secret deal with the US. BBC world affairs correspondent Mike Wooldridge said the high hopes of the Chagossians would now be dashed by the ruling, and that it was likely that they would take their case to the European Court of Human Rights.
In 2000, High Court judges ruled that Chagossians could return to 65 of the islands. Royal prerogative
In 2004 the government used the royal prerogative - exercised by ministers in the Queen's name - to effectively nullify the decision. He added that Foreign Secretary David Miliband had said the government regretted the manner in which the former residents had been evicted.
In 2000, High Court judges ruled that Chagossians could return to 65 of the islands, but not to Diego Garcia.
In 2004, the government used the royal prerogative - exercised by ministers in the Queen's name - to effectively nullify the decision.
Last year, the court overturned that order and rejected the government argument that the royal prerogative was immune from scrutiny. The government had asked the Lords to rule on the issue.Last year, the court overturned that order and rejected the government argument that the royal prerogative was immune from scrutiny. The government had asked the Lords to rule on the issue.
The exiled residents had hoped that if the Law Lords ruling had gone in their favour, their heritage could be rebuilt around a new tourist industry.The exiled residents had hoped that if the Law Lords ruling had gone in their favour, their heritage could be rebuilt around a new tourist industry.