New polling centre set up as group refuses to leave

The council said it would respond "carefully but appropriately"

A group of migrants from the Chagos Islands have refused to leave a temporary rest centre, resulting in a general election polling centre being moved.

More than 70 people who arrived from Mauritius were assessed by Crawley Borough Council early in June, with 37 left with nowhere to stay and no right to emergency accommodation.

The council opened a rest centre for the group, first at K2 Leisure Centre and then at Northgate Community Centre - although they were meant to have left by now.

The centre is used as a polling station and, as a result of the stalemate, residents will now vote in Thursday's general election at St Elizabeth's Church.

A council spokesperson said: “Despite the council bringing the rest centre provision to an end, those staying there have chosen to remain.

“We will be responding carefully but appropriately over the coming days."

All registered voters have been written to, the council said.

Vanessa Mandarin Calu, Chagossian community spokeswoman, previously said most of the group did not have friends and family in the UK.

She said: “Every door we knock [on], every door is closed."

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A second group of people are also living in tents on a former car park outside the old town hall in The Boulevard, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The council spokesperson added that this group is separate to those in the community centre, but does include other Chagos Islanders.

The council said they were moved there to prevent any obstruction to residents trying to access the town hall and it was considering its options.

The Chagossians are UK citizens, having obtained UK passports via the Chagossian British Overseas Territories Citizenship scheme.

Government guidance for Chagos Islanders moving to the UK is they should make accommodation arrangements before travelling.

Council leader Michael Jones had written to the government warning that the authority could no longer help as it had "exhausted the council’s resources in addressing this emergency".

The council declared a housing emergency in February.