In The Press

A British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) migrant has shared a poignant account with the BBC about his harrowing experience of being stranded on Diego Garcia for three years, living without proper facilities and battling significant mental health challenges.

Speaking on BBC Weekend, the Duncan Lewis client expressed relief and happiness at the UK government’s recent decision to allow around 61 Sri Lankan Tamils, including himself, to relocate to the UK. This group has been living in a makeshift camp on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago, after becoming the first asylum seekers to arrive on the British-controlled territory.

The client, speaking anonymously to the BBC World Service, said: “It is a big thing, for nearly three years we felt we were a bird in a cage; to get free from this cage makes us very happy.”

Duncan Lewis public law solicitor Maria Petrova-Collins also explains the challenges faced in representing the migrants on the island and how the recent developments in the case should be interpreted in practical and global terms.

The camp, which also serves as a UK-US military base, was deemed “inadequate” by international organisations including the British Red Cross and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Duncan Lewis Solicitors represents 15 of the affected individuals, who arrived on the island between October 2021 and December 2022. Many have endured appalling living conditions, which have been the subject of extensive legal battles to secure basic liberties and welfare protections, particularly for children.

In June 2024, the situation escalated when the then-Commissioner of BIOT, Paul Candler, described the camp as being “in crisis” after a mass self-harm incident among residents. He resigned from his post in August, citing the “increasingly difficult” circumstances on the island.

The UK government’s decision to relocate the migrants marks a critical development in this long-standing case. Duncan Lewis continues to advocate for the rights of its clients and will monitor the implementation of the planned resettlements to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

The clients have been granted a six-month stay outside the rules, subject to biometric checks, during which time they will be expected to lodge their asylum claims. Further details are still negotiated with the British Government.

Listen to the full interview at BBC Sounds here, starting 44 minutes in: BBC interview with Duncan Lewis BIOT Client

Maria Petrova-Collins is a solicitor in the award-winning Public Law team at Duncan Lewis Solicitors. She specialises in immigration and public law, focusing on judicial review cases that challenge wrongful government policies. Maria has extensive experience in asylum, human rights, and detention matters, representing clients at all stages of their international protection claims.

For advice in any public law matter contact Maria via email at mariap@duncanlewis.com or by telephone on 0203 114 1310.

Duncan Lewis Solicitors

Duncan Lewis Solicitors, an award-winning law firm, is renowned for its exceptional legal services and commitment to justice. The company employs a team of highly skilled solicitors offering top-tier representation in 25 fields of law, and ranked as top tier by the Chambers and the Legal 500 legal guides, and as one of the top 250 law firms in the country by the Times. Duncan Lewis was crowned Law Firm of the Year at the LexisNexis awards 2024, further establishing its credentials as one of the leading law firms in the UK.