on 11 may 2006, the high court ruled that a 2004 order in council preventing the chagossians' resettlement of the islands was unlawful, and consequently that the chagossians were entitled to return to the outer islands of the chagos archipelago. on 23 may 2007, this was confirmed by the court of appeal. in a visit sponsored by the british government, the islanders visited diego garcia and other islands on 3 april 2006 for humanitarian purposes, including the tending of the graves of their ancestors. on 22 october 2008, the british government won an appeal to the house of lords regarding the royal prerogative used to continue excluding the chagossians from their homeland.