Lekshmi MK

On 22 May, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a deal with Mauritius to transfer the Chagos Islands' sovereignty to Mauritius in exchange for 3.4 billion EUR. A few Chagossians opposed the agreement in the UK court because it was not been consulted with the community, which was overturned by a UK Judge.  
 
Where are the Chagos Islands? What is its strategic significance?
The Chagos Islands are an archipelago of 60 islands, 5,799 miles away from the UK and 1,250 miles from Mauritius. When France ceded them, they had been under British control since 1814. In 1965, during which both Mauritius and Chagos were under British administration, the UK split the Chagos Islands and bought them for 3 million EUR. Mauritius considers this act coerced and unlawful. Mauritius gained independence in 1968.

The UK allowed the United States to establish a military base on Diego Garcia, which resulted in the removal of thousands of Chagossians against their will. The displaced individuals were relocated to Mauritius, Seychelles, and the UK, which initiated centuries-long grievances.

What is the Chagos Islands deal?  
Though Mauritius repeatedly called for the return of the islands, the UK declined on the grounds of defence and security. Mauritius, therefore, lodged a case with the International Court of Justice in 2017. The ICJ in 2019 held that British control was illegal and that the islands should be returned to Mauritius. In late 2022, the Mauritian Conservative government and UK negotiations broke down without any agreement. The UK delayed the implementation of the ICJ decision. The diplomatic tensions arose and led to the 2025 deal to address.

The May deal signed between Mauritius and the United Kingdom hands over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. However, the UK retains a 99-year lease on Diego Garcia to continue operating a military base with the United States. In return, the UK pays 101 million EUR annually over the lease period. Mauritius agrees to protect the environment, including marine biodiversity. The deal obliges both countries to cooperate on environmental protection, prevention of illegal fishing, and response to the oil spill. 

According to the deal, Mauritius will have control over immigration and governance of the islands (except Diego Garcia). Mauritius also commits to deploying its laws for the resettlement of the displaced Chagossians on the islands. The agreement also seeks to aid the displaced Chagossians by providing 40 million EUR to the people who were forcibly displaced from the island during the 1960s and 1970s This deal emerges to address the long-standing decolonisation dispute. The deal does not guarantee a right of return or a clear resettlement plan for Chagossians.  

What does Mauritius want?  
As an initial step, Mauritius requested complete sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia. Even when Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam spoke of the transfer as a great victory, the deal allowed the UK to retain control over Diego Garcia under a 99-year lease, limiting Mauritius' sovereignty.  Second, Mauritius perceives the 1965 separation of the Chagos Islands as a colonial injustice. The ICJ's decision in 2019 and UN support consolidated its legal position, which made the present concession more difficult to swallow. Third, Mauritius puts a special focus on safeguarding the Chagos Archipelago's marine biodiversity and cooperating with the UK in environmental conservation. This is included in the provisions of the deal. Fourth, Mauritius also seeks assurances of Chagossian return or resettlement but concerns remain over their integration and recognition under Mauritian rule. There was criticism domestically that the deal was hurried, unjust, and did not consult either displaced Chagossians or the Mauritian people. Thus increasing discontent over the deal.

What do the Chagossians want?  
The Chagossians ask for the right of return and resettlement to their island home. They want genuine consultation, equitable compensation, and a say in future decision-making over the islands. Although they favoured decolonisation, they were more interested in acquiring justice and dignity rather than merely changing ownership. They feel they were excluded from political negotiations, which creates a fear of marginalisation under Mauritian rule. They did not trust Mauritius to treat them fairly and believed they were not Mauritians, but Chagossians with a distinct identity and rights. Chagossians feel the deal brought them nothing positive and felt that they were denied their right of return. 
 
References
James Chater, "What is the Chagos Islands deal between UK and Mauritius?," BBC, 23 May 2025
Stéphane Dujarric, "Note to Correspondents: on signing Agreement concerning the Chagos Islands," United Nations, 22 May 2025
Haroon Siddique, "British Chagossians accuse UK government of betrayal over sovereignty deal," The Guardian, 23 May 2025
"UK signs deal to hand Chagos Islands to Mauritius," Al Jazeera, 22 May 2025
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, "UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia,"Gov.UK, 22 May 2025

About the author
Lekshmi MK is a postgraduate student in the Department of Political Science at Madras Christian College. She is currently a research intern at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS).

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