Ilois
Quick Summary
The Ilois, also known as Chagossians, are an ethnic group originally from the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Between 1967 and 1973, the British government forcibly removed the Ilois from their homeland to make way for military facilities, primarily on Diego Garcia. Most of the Ilois were resettled in Mauritius, with smaller groups relocated to Seychelles and the United Kingdom. This displacement has since been the subject of legal challenges and international attention. The Chagos Archipelago, now part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, was uninhabited when discovered by Portuguese explorers in the 16th century and later became a focus of competing European claims.12
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British Indian Ocean TerritoryHistoryā¦and 1973, Britain removed the Ilois, or Chagossiansāinhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, descended from African slaves and Indian plantation workers. They were given the choice of resettlement in either Seychelles or Mauritius, which became independent in 1968; the majority chose the latter. A small number of Ilois went to theā¦
Read Moreā¦and 1973, Britain removed the Ilois, or Chagossiansāinhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, descended from African slaves and Indian plantation workers. They were given the choice of resettlement in either Seychelles or Mauritius, which became independent in 1968; the majority chose the latter. A small number of Ilois went to theā¦
Read More- Diego GarciaLegal challenges and international rulings
In the late 1990s, islanders from the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, sued for the right to return home, and in 2000 a British court ruled that the 1971 ordinance banning them from the islands was unlawful. U.S. and British officials opposed the plan for resettlement, but in 2006ā¦
Read MoreIn the late 1990s, islanders from the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, sued for the right to return home, and in 2000 a British court ruled that the 1971 ordinance banning them from the islands was unlawful. U.S. and British officials opposed the plan for resettlement, but in 2006ā¦
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