Diego Garcia asylum seekers feel unsafe on remote British island territory - BBC News

A group of 61 held in a camp on Diego Garcia tell UN inspectors of sexual assaults, rat bites and self-harm.

20 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, HANDOUTImage caption, An image previously sent to the BBC by a migrant shows the housing tents on the island of Diego GarciaBy Alice CuddyBBC NewsA group of asylum seekers on an isolated British island territory have told UN investigators they feel unsafe and forgotten, as they reported sexual assaults and harassment of children, as well as self-harm and suicide attempts.

Inspectors from the UN's refugee agency visited Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, to check on their welfare.

A draft report says that conditions there amounted to arbitrary detention.

The Foreign Office said the island was not suitable for migrants to live on.

Other than the migrant camp, the island is used as a UK-US military base. Thousands of troops are stationed there, usually on a one-year deployment, along with a smaller number of military contractors. For all allegations of sexual assault and harassment, the alleged perpetrators were other asylum seekers.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-68326365

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