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The arrival of 600 Chagossian migrants in west London since July has pushed Hillingdon Council to the brink of financial collapse, officials have warned, amid the fallout from Prime Minister Keir Starmer's controversial handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The Tory-run borough, already struggling in the face of asylum pressures, faces a £2million bill this year alone for emergency housing and support, with leaders pleading for urgent government aid as costs spiral "out of control."
The influx stems from a landmark October agreement in which the UK ceded sovereignty of the Indian Ocean archipelago—a British overseas territory since 1814—to Mauritius, while securing a 99-year lease on the strategic Diego Garcia military base for £101million annually. Critics, including Conservative MPs, have slammed the deal as a "betrayal" that could cost taxpayers up to £47billion over decades, exacerbating fears among the displaced Chagossian community of up to 10,000 people worldwide. Many islanders, evicted in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for a US-UK airbase, gained British citizenship rights in 2022 under the Nationality and Borders Act.
Now, citing threats in Mauritius for supporting UK sovereignty, hundreds are fleeing to Britain as citizens but arriving without housing plans.
Most land at Heathrow Airport in Hillingdon, overwhelming local services. Since last summer, 621 Chagossians have required immediate aid, including families peaking at 120 in a single week in May.
This week alone, there were 152 arrivals, with another 157 expected imminently. Under legal duties, the council must provide temporary accommodation, food, and essentials—costs estimated at £1.2million annually for Chagossians alone, plus a £5million asylum shortfall projected to hit £11.3 million over five years.
The cost is equivalent to Hillingdon's entire annual libraries budget, forcing raids on core services like social care.
Steve Tuckwell, the cabinet member for housing, said: "It's breaking the council. It's taking away hard-earned taxpayers' money from core services.”
He urged the Government: "Stop this burden on Hillingdon taxpayers. The bank account is running dry." The authority has slashed £38million from its budget this year and opened a pop-up processing centre, but warns of effective bankruptcy without intervention. Labour ministers reimburse only the first 10 days of support, leaving long-term burdens on locals—a "national responsibility" one senior official deemed "unacceptable."
Among the newcomers is Damien Dursonial, 35, a former Mauritian police constable who arrived last week with his wife and two young children after selling his motorcycle to fund the trip.
Damien Dursonial told the BBC: "I came to the UK because it was the only place where we could feel safe, respected and recognised as a British citizen.”
He told the BBC: "As a Chagossian in Mauritius, we faced real threats by simply identifying as British or supporting UK sovereignty over the Chagos Islands." His family now relies on council-provided temporary housing, part of the £1.2 million spent so far.
Mr Dursonial criticised the government's priorities: "Ministers are giving away the Chagos Archipelago and taxpayer funds to Mauritius," yet local councils bear the load.
David Simmonds, Conservative MP for parts of Hillingdon, blamed "Starmer’s disastrous Chagos deal," which he said leaves locals "picking up the tab for government failings" with no resourcing plan.
Vanessa Mandarin Calu, Chagossian advocate, echoed the sentiment: "The Government should create a clear pathway for British-Chagossians instead of handing our territory to another country without consulting us."
The Home Office insists the arrivals are "completely unrelated" to the deal and that Chagossians must arrange their own housing pre-travel.
It claims Hillingdon has received funding for "immediate pressures," with broader support under review. Yet as families settle temporarily—hoping for a return pathway—the strain on Hillingdon underscores a policy rift: grand geopolitical gestures clashing with gritty local realities.