Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many asylum applications have been (a) accepted and (b) rejected in the British Indian Ocean Territory in each of the last five years.

As an uninhabited territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) does not have an asylum system. Where migrants have claimed that they are unable to return safely to their country of origin, their claims are considered in accordance with BIOT law and international obligations. We do not comment publicly on individual claims for protection.

No foreign nationals are detained on BIOT. Around 130 individuals have so far voluntarily returned to their home country on six separate flights chartered by the BIOT Administration. The FCDO provides funding to the BIOT Administration to help support the good governance of the Territory. This funding includes all costs associated with temporarily supporting the migrants on BIOT and supporting their departure from the territory.