The Chagossians, meanwhile, were left to suffer in exile. When they arrived in Mauritius and the Seychelles, they found themselves in a hostile environment. They were not welcomed as refugees and were often treated as second-class citizens. Without any resettlement assistance or support, they struggled to make a living in these foreign lands. Over the years, the Chagossians have faced extreme poverty, poor living conditions, and a lack of access to education and healthcare. Many have never been able to fully integrate into their new societies, and they continue to live in the shadows of their former homeland.
For decades, the U.S. military base on Diego Garcia continued to grow in importance. It became a key part of the U.S. military’s presence in the Indian Ocean, serving as a strategic hub for military operations in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. The base played a role in the Gulf War, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, and the ongoing fight against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. The U.S. also used Diego Garcia as a site for secret CIA “black sites” where terrorist suspects were detained and interrogated.
