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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. | 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. |
| In a statement, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said: "It is appropriate on this day that I should repeat the government's regret at the way the resettlement of the Chagossians was carried out in the 1960s and 1970s and at the hardship that followed for some of them. | |
| "We do not seek to justify those actions and do not seek to excuse the conduct of an earlier generation." | |
| However, Mr Miliband added that the courts had previously ruled that fair compensation had been paid to the Chargossians and that "the UK has no legal obligation to pay any further compensation". | |
| Royal prerogative | Royal prerogative |
| BBC world affairs correspondent Mike Wooldridge said the high hopes of the Chagossians would now be dashed by the ruling. He said it was likely 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, but not to Diego Garcia. | 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. | 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. |
| A spokesman for the Chagos Islanders said in a statement before the three-to-two majority ruling: "Forty years ago, in December 1966, the Harold Wilson Labour government gave away our homeland, including Diego Garcia, which has been given to the US government to use as a military base. | |
| "The whole Chagossian population was forcibly removed from our homes, our animals were killed and we were dumped, mainly in the slums of Mauritius. We have been treated like slaves." | |
| 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. |