Council warns housing pressures from Chagossian citizenship scheme could lead to section 114 notice
A Government decision to grant citizenship to people of Chagossian descent could put Crawley Borough Council at risk of issuing a section 114 notice, the leader of the council has warned.
In a letter to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Home Office, and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Cllr Michael Jones said providing housing to just 100 households to the 6,000 Chagossians that have applied for citizenship would cost 20% of the council's net budget.
Cllr Jones said it is likely that the citizenship programme would impact Crawley as the town is already home to around 3,000 Chagossians, making it the largest Chagossian community in the UK.
Chagossians were deported by the UK Government to Mauritius or Seychelles in the 60s and 70s in order to make way for a US military base on the Chago Archipelago.
In 2022, the Home Office launched a citizenship programme that allows Chagos Islands descendants to get British citizenship for free.
Crawley Council said it was pleased that the citizenship policy would go some way towards addressing historical wrongs but added that it has "grave concerns about housing costs and the implications on public services".
In his letter, which is the third the council has sent raising concerns over the issue, Cllr Jones urged the Government to make a decision on Crawley's request for new funding made in November 2022.
He said: "Your government's continued delay in decision making on this crucial issue for Crawley risks placing a financial crisis on the council that would have serious effects on its finances and profoundly threatens wider service delivery. 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.
"Crawley is home to around 3,000 Chagossians, which makes it by far the largest community in the UK. It’s highly likely that Chagossians taking advantage of the new British citizenship route will settle here, where there is an established community and where they may have friends or family."
The programme has currently seen 3,200 Chagossians approved for citizenship.
Cllr Jones added: "This is very likely to create immense pressure on accessing local services including housing.
"If the council is required to provide housing, it would likely result in CBC being forced into issuing a section 114 notice, effectively declaring bankruptcy.
"Just 100 households arriving in Crawley without housing would cost £227,500 every month or £2.73m per year in temporary accommodation costs – 20 per cent of the council’s net revenue budget."
He also raised concerns about increased pressures on health, social care and education systems in the borough.
A Government 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.”
Adam Carey
