MINISTERS risk repeating history if they fail to guarantee British citizenship rights for relatives of exiled islanders, Tory MP Henry Smith warned yesterday.

The Crawley MP introduced a Commons Bill allowing anyone of Chagossian descent to register as a British citizen due to their connections with a British overseas territory.

The second generation of those born in exile lack the same rights as their parents and grandparents, meaning they face financial and legal costs to stay in Britain.