Sprawled in the sunshine, barefoot with their only possessions stacked around them, they cut unusual figures amid the hustle and bustle of Westminster.

This is the fate of some of the exiled islanders of Diego Garcia two days after being told to leave their Sussex hotel.

A group of about 15 refugees travelled to the Houses of Parliament from Crawley, where they had been staying in rooms paid for by West Sussex County Council, to protest at their treatment.

Those who stopped to listen were touched by their story. Many gave them food, drink and money.

But what the exiles want is the opportunity to start new lives in England or return to their homeland, from where they were forcibly evacuated by the British to make way for a US missile base.

As they bedded down for a second night on the streets last night, the strain of their ordeal was beginning to show.

Jonathan Cherry, 19, said: "I lived with my mum and dad in Mauritius and I really miss them. I can't tell them I'm sleeping outside in the cold because they would be worried, especially as my dad is very ill.

"It is very noisy and cold here and I found it very difficult to breathe last night. There is also nowhere to wash and I'm always hungry. But we will stay here as long as we have to."

Mike Jubeau, 26, who has a two-year-old daughter in Mauritius, said he was dreading another night in the open.

He said: "It was very depressing and humiliating to sleep here.

"We never thought it would come to this and it's very difficult to be here without my family.

"But we will get our home back whether it takes two months or two years."

The exiles were finally given British passports last year almost 30 years after being forced to leave Diego Garcia, their Indian Ocean island home, and moved to Mauritius.

They saved up for tickets to fly to England, expecting to be able to start new lives.

The passports allowed them through customs but their British Citizenship did not entitle them to state benefits or accommodation.

West Sussex County Council was ordered by a court to accommodate the refugees for six months after their arrival at Gatwick.

It has spent more than £500,000 on hotel bills but the six-month legal deadline for the first 39 arrivals ended on Sunday and no further provision exists.

Gabriel Valentin, 46, said the grime, noise and fumes of Westminster was a far cry from their promised land.

He said: "This is worse than Mauritius and that was like a hell for us. We were treated as the lowest of the low. In Diego Garcia we had no money but we didn't need any.

"We shared everything and it was all grown and produced organically. Looking back, it was like a paradise."

Many of the Diego Garcians originally camped out at Gatwick airport before being put up in a series of hotels across the town. Another 61 later arrivals remain in hotels but also fear the looming six-month deadline.

The case is progressing through court but the complex legal battle over who is ultimately responsible for the islanders' welfare has not been settled.

But Gabriel, who has left family, including two grandchildren, in Mauritius, said there was still hope.

He said: "We have been told that the Government may provide us with compensation next month. They keep putting our case back."