Island Stories – Chagossian Voices

Hi, my name is Louis Elyse. I was born in enforced exile in Mauritius to native Chagossian parents. Like all Chagossians my parents were removed from the islands by the UK government, despite being British citizens and a settled population (since the 18th century). After a change in UK immigration law in 2002, I came to the UK in 2003 for a better life, since Chagossians were a marginalised community in Mauritius. On arrival I ended up sleeping for a week at Gatwick Airport and another week outside the Social Services building in Crawley, West Sussex, even though I had a British passport. I came with a group of people, and had been told we would get work and accommodation by the CRG President. This was just the beginning of a continuing struggle for rights, representation, stability and support. Most UK based Chagossians have settled in Crawley but I and a group of several hundred Chagossians now live in Manchester, where I work and campaign for the community. I am also a member of the Chagossian Voices team.