Respected Honourable
Members of Parliament,
As Chairman of the
Chagos Refugees Group, I write on behalf of the Chagossian community. Many
Chagossians are British citizens.
Although many Chagossians have settled in the UK, their spouses are
currently residing in Mauritius and Seychelles. To this end, we are grateful
that the UK has adopted a policy wherein the spouse of a British Citizen may
enter the United Kingdom.
While we understand the
need for well established prerequisites prior to granting a person leave to
enter/settle in the UK, we believe it necessary to highlight an anomaly since
the new legislation came into force on the 9th of July 2012.
I am sure you would
appreciate the fact that the majority of the Chagossians are both poor and not
highly educated. Consequently the financial requirements imposed upon them are
largely unrealistic.
Essentially, in order to
be eligible, it is stipulated that the sponsor of an individual seeking visa
settlement ‘must have an income of at
least £18600’ per annum. Unfortunately,
on an average, a Chagossian because of his limited skills will earn a maximum
of £13500 per annum. Therefore he will not be able to meet the financial
requirement.
In light of the above, I
would be grateful if you could look further into the issue and ensure that the
policy adopted remains mindful of the Chagossians’ financial difficulties.
In my capacity as
Chairman of the CRG, I hope that you will do the needful.
I thank you in
anticipation.
Yours Faithfully,
Olivier Bancoult, OSK
Chairman CRG
