Council 'under pressure' as 100s of Chagos Islanders descend on UK costing £500k

A council in London has been left furious after being forced to pick up the bill for the influx of people arriving from the Chagos Islands. Hillingdon Council says that 400 Chagossians arrived at Heathrow Airport last year, which is costing them hundreds of thousands of pounds. However, the authority claims the government only provides funding for the first 10 days after they land, leaving residents "to pay".

Hillingon Councillor Ian Edwards fumed that it was "clearly not enough", demanding that the government offers more support. This followsthe signing of the Chagos Islands deal in May, where the British overseas territory was handed over to Mauritius. Mr Edwards told GB News: "We have spent half a million pounds up until the end of the last financial year in support (of) Chagossians.

"The government have offered us £70,000 pounds in compensation."

The councillor says it falls on the local authority to help anybody who turns up at nearby Heathrow who requires assistance. Mr Edwards added that the islanders who arrive are "lawfully entitled to be in the country" as they hold British passports.

Due to this, they are unable to qualify for any support granted to refugees and asylum seekers, leaving Hillingdon council to pay - including "the accommodation cost".

"It's also just the administration cost and officer time of receiving these people, supporting them and helping them settle into the country," he told the news channel, adding that the government was "expecting Hillingdon residents to pay".

Since Labour's deal with Mauritius in May, Hillingdon council claims that more than 100 islanders had arrived at Heathrow in a single week - many of whom had no accommodation plans.

In total, the authority said it has cost more than a staggering £508,000 between July 2024 and March 2025. Due to more arrivals expected, the council has forecast the annual cost to be £1.2m.

Earlier this year, the Prime Minister signed over ownership of the islands in the Indian Ocean at a cost of up to £30billion over the lifetime of the deal.

This includes rent for the military base on Diego Garcia, which is broken down as follows: £165million a year for the first three years, £120million a year for the next 10; then £120million plus inflation for years 14-99.

On top of that, the UK has agreed to spend £45million a year for 25 years for development in Mauritius and £40million for a Chagossian trust fund.