Urgent call to protect stranded Sri Lankan asylum seekers on Diego Garcia

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has formally requested Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to provide safe haven in the UK for over 60 Sri Lankan asylum seekers currently stranded on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). In his letter dated 16 July, Lammy emphasised the urgent and escalating risk of harm, particularly to migrant children among the detainees.

The appeal follows concerns raised by the BIOT Commissioner about the inadequate conditions for children within the group. Legal representatives for the asylum seekers have called for immediate government action, highlighting recent suicide attempts among the group as evidence of their desperation.

At a court hearing on Tuesday, Justice Obi heard submissions regarding the crisis in the detention compound, where conditions have deteriorated significantly. The court was informed that the BIOT Commissioner acknowledges the inability to meet the needs of the detained children. The hearing also revealed that efforts to address the situation were stalled by a US intervention that obstructed logistical support for a Supreme Court session on Diego Garcia.

In a critical development, Justice Obi has ordered the judicial review hearing to be reconvened on Diego Garcia in September. Meanwhile, the Foreign Secretary's appeal to relocate 39 vulnerable individuals, including 16 children, to the UK underscores the immediate need for action. The asylum seekers, detained for nearly three years, are unable to return to Sri Lanka due to ongoing international protection claims, with forcible return constituting a breach of international law.

Tom Short of Leigh Day, representing some of the claimants, stressed the severity of the situation, citing grave offenses against children and the significant cost to the UK taxpayer. The need for swift government intervention to end the prolonged and inhumane detention is imperative.

For more details, refer to the attached witness statement by BIOT Commissioner Paul Candler presented during the hearing.