Former UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called for asylum seekers stranded on the remote British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) of Diego Garcia to be brought to the UK for processing, according to a redacted email released by the Supreme Court of BIOT.
The migrants, many of whom are Sri Lankan Tamils with links to the former Tamil Tiger rebels, have been stranded on the island for more than two years, with some alleging persecution, torture, or sexual assault.
Ms. Truss's request was seemingly ignored, and the Foreign Office has argued that enabling migrants to come to the UK from BIOT would incentivize further irregular migration. BIOT is home to a secretive UK-US military base, and its unique legal status has left asylum seekers in limbo.