the only inhabitants of the territory are us and british military personnel and associated contractors, who collectively number around 2,500 (2012 figures). the removal of chagossians from the chagos archipelago occurred between 1968 and 1973. the chagossians, then numbering about 2,000 people, were expelled by the british government to mauritius and the seychelles to allow the united states to build a joint uk/us military base there. today, the exiled chagossians are still trying to return, arguing that the forced expulsion and dispossession was illegal. the islands are off-limits to chagossians, casual tourists, and the media.