Crawley faces a funding crisis following the decision to grant British citizenship to people of Chagossian descent, the borough council’s leader has again warned.
In his third letter to the Government since the citizenship route was opened in November 2022, Councillor Michael Jones has repeated a call for New Burdens Funding to cover the ‘huge cost implications’ of the decision.
Britain forcibly evicted people from the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean in the 1960s and 1970s so the United States could build a military base.
Many of those exiled were resettled in Crawley, which is now home to around 3,000 Chagossians – the largest community in the UK.
Crawley BC said it was pleased that the policy went ‘some way towards addressing historical wrongs’ but issued ‘grave concerns’ about housing costs and the implications on public services if more people chose to settle within the town’s established community.
The authority warned that a requirement to provide additional housing could result in it having to issue a Section 114 notice.
In the letter, sent to the foreign office, home office and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), Cllr Jones said: ‘I do not wish to leave you in any doubt over the level of concern this causes me, and I must urge immediate action from you.’
A DLUHC spokesperson said: ‘We continue to work closely with Crawley Borough Council to prepare for potential arrivals into the area and will update further in due course.’
If this article was of interest, then check out our features, 'Preventing future Section 114 notices'.
