This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the forced deportations of the inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago so that the US could establish military facilities on the largest island, Diego Garcia.  

Appallingly, little consideration was given to the hundreds of Chagossians torn from their homes to make way for the base, with many condemned to poverty and destitution.  

In a new report, That’s When The Nightmare Started. Human Rights Watch found that the Chagossians' expulsion and treatment by the UK and US governments constitute crimes against humanity.