Refugees on Diego Garcia - 10th July 2023

Almost 100 Tamils from Sri Lanka became refugees on Diego Garcia. This island's in the Indian Ocean. The refugees aren't safe in Sri Lanka.

They were on a fishing boat. They wanted to go to Canada. But the boat had problems. British sailors saved them.

The refugees are living in a camp on Diego Garcia. Diego Garcia's a US-UK military base. Only soldiers and sailors live there.

This is a problem for the refugees. The international rules for refugees don't work on this island.

There aren't any schools or hospitals. Soldiers fly sick refugees to Rwanda for treatment.

Some refugees chose to return to Sri Lanka. One group sailed their unsafe boat from Diego Garcia. They went to the French island of Reunion.

The refugees stopped eating. They did this to change the situation in the camp. Now they have phones. They can get help from lawyers.

British lawyers are helping some refugees. They want them to go to Britain.