Britain has put on hold its plan to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius
12 April 15:11
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has postponed the agreement to transfer the Chagos Archipelago—home to a joint British-American military base—to Mauritius after the U.S. failed to officially confirm its approval.
This was reported by the BBC, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
British officials stated that they are not completely abandoning the agreement, but they have run out of time to pass the legislation before the end of the session in the coming weeks.
However, as the BBC notes, the Chagos bill is not expected to be included in the Queen’s Speech in mid-May during the opening of the next session.
The Chagos Islands, officially known as the British Indian Ocean Territory, have been under British control since the early 19th century.
The agreement stipulates that the UK will transfer sovereignty over the territory to Mauritius and pay an average of $136 million per year to lease the joint British-American military base on Diego Garcia.
A British government spokesperson stated that Diego Garcia is a key strategic military asset for both the UK and the US.
“Ensuring long-term operational security is and will remain our priority—this is the main reason for the agreement. We continue to believe that the agreement is the best way to safeguard the long-term future of the base, but we have always said that we will only extend the agreement if the U.S. supports it. We continue to work with the U.S. and Mauritius,” he said.
On May 22, 2025, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed the signing of an agreement with the government of Mauritius, which provides for the transfer of control over the Chagos Islands. This specifically concerns the Diego Garcia military base—a key strategic asset in the region that the UK leases jointly with the US. Under the agreement, the base will be leased back to the UK on behalf of the Mauritian government.
Starmer stated that a full assessment of the reasons for this decision is “top secret.” According to the prime minister, London is forced to conclude the agreement to avoid a lawsuit by Mauritius in international courts, which the UK would most likely lose, including fines.
Earlier that day, a court issued a temporary injunction against signing the agreement. However, a High Court judge later lifted the injunction, allowing the document to be signed. U.S. President Donald Trump publicly supported the agreement.
In January 2026, Trump criticized Britain’s decision to transfer the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean—home to the British-American military base Diego Garcia—to Mauritius.
