The UK has paused plans to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, throwing the future of a long-negotiated deal into uncertainty as London seeks backing from Washington.
The proposed agreement – which would see Britain cede control of the Indian Ocean archipelago while retaining access to the strategically vital Diego Garcia military base – has run into opposition from US President Donald Trump, complicating efforts by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to push the legislation through parliament.
According to reports, the government has decided not to include the bill underpinning the agreement in its upcoming parliamentary agenda. Downing Street signalled the pause is temporary, stressing that discussions with both Washington and Mauritius are ongoing.
A government spokesperson said securing the long-term operational future of the Diego Garcia base remains central to British policy. Under the terms of the deal, Britain would lease the base back for 99 years, preserving US military operations in the region.
“We continue to believe the agreement is the best way to protect the long-term future of the base,” the spokesperson said. “But we have always been clear we would only proceed if it has US support.”
UK High Court clears deal to return Chagos Islands to Mauritius
Strategic tensions and diplomatic strain
The hesitation reflects a broader cooling in transatlantic relations, with recent disagreements exposing strains in what has long been dubbed the “special relationship”.
Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised the deal, calling it a “big mistake” earlier this year. His remarks appear to have emboldened sceptics within his administration, some of whom were reportedly uneasy about the arrangement from the outset.
The dispute comes against a backdrop of wider tensions between London and Washington, including differences over military strategy in the Middle East. Keir Starmer initially resisted allowing US forces to use British bases for offensive operations during the US–Israeli conflict with Iran, though he has since permitted what he describes as defensive strikes.
Trump has also taken personal aim at Starmer, saying the British leader had damaged ties between the two allies and was “not Winston Churchill”.
Despite the friction, British officials remain cautiously optimistic that a compromise can be reached – a sign that both sides still recognise the strategic importance of Diego Garcia in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific region.
Handover of Chagos Islands to Mauritius 'not an outright win'
Chagos Islanders’ voices resurface
While the geopolitical stakes dominate headlines, campaigners say the human dimension of the deal risks being overlooked.
Britain forcibly removed up to 2,000 indigenous Chagossians from the islands in the late 1960s and 1970s to make way for the military base – a legacy that continues to shape the debate today.
Toby Noskwith, speaking on behalf of Indigenous Chagossian People, said concerns about the agreement had existed from the beginning within US political circles.
“We are astonished to have come to this point,” he said, arguing that the negotiations had largely sidelined those most affected. “This has been framed mainly as a state-to-state issue, but the people who have been lost throughout the process are the Chagossians – particularly elders and survivors.”
Noskwith also questioned the resources spent on what he described as a “collapsed negotiation”, and raised concerns about whether the deal adequately respected the Chagossians’ right to self-determination.
He called on Starmer’s government to prioritise a dignified resettlement process, ensuring that displaced islanders are not once again left out of decisions about their homeland.
(With newswires)
