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<p>The Government is carrying out a public consultation exercise, seeking the views
of Chagossians and other interested parties, about a potential resettlement of the
British Indian Ocean Territory. The consultation is scheduled to last 12 weeks, concluding
on 27 October. I am pleased that an estimated five hundred Chagossians in the UK,
Seychelles, and Mauritius have joined meetings with members of the British Indian
Ocean Territory Administration to talk through the consultation document. Though we
have been clear that this document is not a statement of UK Government policy, as
no decision has yet been taken, it sets out the most realistic hypothetical scenario
in which possible resettlements, including a pilot option, could take place. The consultation
period will help us understand Chagossians’ aspirations and the level of demand for
the options set out. This consultation continues the conversation with Chagossian
communities as part of our review of resettlement policy started in 2012, which included
an independent feasibility study, which concluded at the end of January 2015.</p>
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