the Disillusioned kid: Where Next?
| Email | Home | Linkage | Profile |

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Where Next?

The story of the Chagos Islanders seeking a new life in the UK (more on which here, here and here) goes on:
BAILIFFS could be sent in to force exiled Diego Garcians out of council-funded accommodation.

The Garcians are sitting tight in council accommodation in spite of a mutual agreement between legal teams that should have seen them move out on Monday.

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council has been footing the bill for 33 islanders since their arrival in the borough last autumn. It has cost them more than £55,000.

The group originate from the Chagos island of Diego Garcia but were moved to Mauritius after their homeland was made into a military airbase by the British Government in the 1970s.

The High Court ordered the council to house them while a review is undertaken of their situation, and they were given accommodation in bedsit flats at Atkinson Court, Horley.

After a lot of legal wrangling, an agreement was reached three weeks ago between the council's legal team and lawyers representing the Diego Garcians that the islanders would move on May 9. However, only 14 have moved out and the remaining 19 have refused to go.

Joan Spiers, leader of the council, was incensed, saying they had reneged on an agreement reached between the council and their lawyers.

"I am appalled," she said. "We have treated them incredibly well. But I believe they are taking advantage of the council tax-payers in this borough.

" Now the council must go to court to get them removed.

A council spokesman said: "We have to show we have grounds for eviction and get the court to agree them.

"There are two dates involved - one for eviction and one for the bailiffs to move in. Hopefully we can combine the two and do it all on the same day."

Mrs Spiers expressed her dismay at the situation and the delay in moving them out.

She said: "They have had six months free board and lodging and now we have to go to court and get a bailiff to evict them."

Allen Vincatassin, community leader of the Diego Garcians, could not be contacted at the time of going to press.
I found this story (like so much of my information on the Chagossians) via the Chagos Discussion list and I can but agree with the originator who suggests that "the Council should bring the UK government to court for dumping their problem onto the Council."

Side Projects

Carnival of Anarchy
The Peace Pipe
UK Watch Blog

Acquaintances

Against the Current
Atopian.org
Culture hits and gendered bits
Daniel Randall
In The Water
Mike Wood
On The Barricades
Pizarro's Sword
Space Cat Rocket Ship
Surveillant Assemblage
TashCamUK FotoPage
The Naked Lunch
The Peace Pipe
The World of the Dynamite Lady

Strangers

Anarchoblogs
Antiwar.com Blog
Arte & Lingua
Barker in Valencia
Blairwatch
Bloggerheads
Blood & Treasure
Bombs and Shields
Boomablog
Born at the Crest of the Empire
Chase me ladies...
Chicken Yoghurt
Craig Murray
Dead Men Left
Direland
Disreputable Lazy Aliens
Empire Notes
Europhobia
Friends of Al Jazeera
Global Guerillas
Guerillas in the Midst
I Blame the Patriachy
Informed Comment
Insultadarity
Janine Booth
Lenin's Tomb
Life of Riley Blog
Media Watch Watch
Neil Shakespeare
NO2ID NewsBlog
One Hump or Two?
Otto's Random Thoughts
Perfect.co.uk
Pitch In For Uzbekistan
Registan.net
Run over by the truth
Solidarity With Iraqi Workers
Shut Up You Fat Whiner!
Sudan: Passion of the Present
Talk Politics
The Anthropik Network
The Daily (Maybe)
The Devil's Kitchen
The Disillusioned
The f-word
The Head Heeb
The Killing Train
The Revenge of Winston Smith
The Socialist Unity Blog
The Wicked Truth
Theory of Power
Things I Don't Have Time For
This (Fresh) Gringo
This Is My Truth
Thumping the Tub
Time The Dreaded Enemy
UK Watch Blog
UK Poli Blogs
underbrella
Under The Same Sun
Uzbekistan.neweurasia.net
What Fresh Hell Is This?
Where is Raed? (RIP)
Who Are You to Accuse Me?
Words and Rocks
Zeropointnine
Z-Net Blog

Neighbours

Asbo Community Space
Defy-ID
Eastside Climate Action
Faslane 365
Freecycle
Indymedia
No Borders
Nottingham Student Peace Movement
Refugee Forum
Stop the War
Sumac Centre
The Demo Project

Ivory Towers

Anarchist Studies Network
Centre for the Study of Social and Global Justice
Postanarchism Clearinghouse

Miscellania

Anarchist FAQ
Antiwar.com
Chagos Discussion List
Chagos Support Forums
Electronic Intifada
Future of Iraq Portal
Index of Political Blogs
Indymedia UK
Infoshop
Iraq Occupation Focus
Pledgebank
Refuser Solidarity Network
SchNEWS
Socialist Unity Network
The New Standard
UK Chagos Support Association
UK Watch
Weekly Worker
Wikipedia
WriteToThem.com
Z-Net

The Progressive Blog Alliance

Register here to join the PBA.