Prime Minister Keir Starmer has signed a controversial agreement transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, committing the UK to annual payments of £101 million.
The deal includes a 99-year lease allowing the UK and US to maintain the Diego Garcia military base, a strategic asset in the Indian Ocean.
The agreement follows international pressure, including a 2019 UN resolution deeming the UK’s administration of the islands unlawful.
Critics argue the deal is financially burdensome and compromises national security, citing Mauritius’s ties with China.
Chagossian communities, displaced in the 1960s and 70s, express concerns over resettlement rights and lack of consultation.
A last-minute High Court injunction briefly halted the signing but was lifted hours later, allowing the deal to proceed.
The treaty now awaits parliamentary scrutiny under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.
