‘I’m happy to be in this country’ says exiled islander

‘I’m British and proud of it’ - that’s the view of a Chagossian Islander exiled from his country for years.
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Xavier Siatous moved to Crawley in 2005 and now says he loves living in the UK - despite an international campaign to reclaim his homeland.

Mr Siatous was among thousands of people forced to move from the Chagos Islands in 1965 to enable a US air base to be built.

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He lived in Mauritius for 40 years before moving to Crawley after he was granted the right to become a British citizen.

Xavier Siatous SUS-200603-115458001Xavier Siatous SUS-200603-115458001
Xavier Siatous SUS-200603-115458001

Now 71-year-old Mr Siatous says: “I respect the British Government and I respect the Queen.”

Last year the UN’s highest court said that the UK should give up control of the Chagos Islands, potentially allowing thousands of Chagossians in Crawley to return home.

But Mr Siatous, who now lives in Bognor, maintains that pressure for legal action came from the Mauritius government.

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“These people who want to return the island are Mauritian people. But the British government is my government. I am happy to be in this country.”

He said the Chagossians had sacrificed their way of life to give the world security in an age of terrorism.

“These pople understand the reason why they were taken from their island is to make sure that the world is protected by this military base that has been there to protect us all from terorists.

“We don’t want to return home beause it is not safe for anyone.”

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He said there were three big dangers: opening the door to terrorists; radioactivity on the island, and the threat of tsunamis.

Last year’s court ruling recommended that the return of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Crawley MP Henry Smith later told the Commons that the islanders had the right to remain British.