UK Pauses Chagos Islands Handover to Mauritius After US Opposition

Britain has paused legislation to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after US President Donald Trump withdrew support for the deal, calling it an act of great stupidity. The May 2025 agreement would have returned the 60-plus Indian Ocean islands to Mauritius while allowing Britain to lease Diego Garcia, home to a strategically important US military base since 1966, for 99 years. The UK has controlled the islands since 1814 and forcibly evicted thousands of Chagossians to establish the base, which has been crucial to US operations in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Despite the pause, the UK government maintains the deal is the best way to protect the base's long-term future while addressing a 2019 International Court of Justice recommendation for return.

UK Decision to Pause Chagos Islands Handover

• ▪A bill laying out plans to cede sovereignty of the 60-plus Indian Ocean islands had been dropped from the next parliamentary agenda
• ▪Under the UK-Mauritius Chagos deal, Britain would pay to lease Diego Garcia on a 99-year lease to preserve US operations there
• ▪The United Kingdom is setting aside a bill to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius amid a lack of support from United States President Donald Trump

Trump Administration's Opposition to the Deal

• ▪Donald Trump stated that ceding the Chagos Islands would be a blight on our Great Ally
• ▪Donald Trump attacked Keir Starmer on Truth Social weeks after their February 2026 conversation, stating that Starmer is making a big mistake
• ▪Donald Trump opposed the Chagos Islands handover deal, calling it an act of great stupidity in January 2026
• ▪Donald Trump appeared to momentarily back down in February 2026 after speaking with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying Starmer had made the best deal he could make

Strategic Importance of Diego Garcia Military Base

• ▪Diego Garcia is located in the middle of the Indian Ocean between Asia and Africa
• ▪The Diego Garcia military base was leased from Britain in 1966
• ▪Diego Garcia is the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago
• ▪Diego Garcia is home to a major United States military base

Historical Context and Chagossian Displacement

• ▪Britain continued to control the Chagos Islands after Mauritius gained independence in the 1960s
• ▪Britain has controlled the Chagos Islands since 1814
• ▪The International Court of Justice recommended in 2019 that the Chagos archipelago be returned to Mauritius

Perspective of Donald Trump and US administration

• ▪Donald Trump characterized the UK-Mauritius Chagos deal as an act of great stupidity that would harm British interests

Perspective of UK government under Keir Starmer

• ▪The UK government believes the Chagos Islands agreement with Mauritius is the best way to protect the long-term future of the Diego Garcia base
• ▪Keir Starmer negotiated a 99-year lease arrangement for Diego Garcia that would preserve US military operations while transferring sovereignty to Mauritius

Perspective of Chagossians

• ▪Chagossians were forcibly evicted from the Chagos Islands in the 1960s to make way for the Diego Garcia military base

Perspective of Mauritius government

• ▪Mauritius claims the Chagos Islands despite being located approximately 2,000 kilometres away from the archipelago
• ▪Mauritius jointly announced with the UK in May 2025 a deal that would return full sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius
• ▪The International Court of Justice recommended in 2019 that the Chagos archipelago be returned to Mauritius