DEVELOPING: Housing Crisis Erupts as Chagos Arrivals Surge Overnight

Breaking News: Housing Crisis Erupts as Chagos Arrivals Surge Overnight Over 600 Chagossians have arrived in the UK since last July, with a surge of 152 arrivals at Heathrow Airport in Hillingdon this week alone. The influx has put pressure on local housing resources, with Hillingdon Council expecting to spend £2m this year on temporary accommodation for the islanders. The council's finances are being stretched to breaking point as it struggles to meet its legal duty to provide housing for homeless British-Chagossians. Many of the arrivals are coming from Mauritius, where they claim to feel unsafe following a deal between the UK government and the Mauritian authorities to hand over the Chagos Islands. The UK government has argued that the influx is "completely unrelated" to the Chagos Islands deal, but critics say it is clear that the agreement has created a crisis for those seeking refuge. The council's financial struggles are likely to be exacerbated by the sudden increase in demand for housing. This is a developing story and we will provide updates as more information becomes available. *This is a developing story. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available. Based on reporting from Bbc.*