The UK government has shelved its plan to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after the US withdrew its support for the agreement.
Officials acknowledged on Friday that they had run out of time to pass the necessary legislation before the current parliamentary session ends in the coming weeks. This setback in the long-running effort to hand over the islands, which host the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, reflects strained relations between London and Washington. Tensions have worsened following Donald Trump’s sharp criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his handling of the conflict with Iran.
A government spokesperson stated: “Diego Garcia is a key strategic military asset for both the UK and the US. Ensuring its long-term operational security is, and will continue to be, our priority – it is the entire reason for the deal. We continue to believe the agreement is the best way to protect the long-term future of the base, but we have always said we would only proceed with the deal if it has US support.”
President Trump had previously criticised the plan, which is backed by the US State Department, telling Starmer he was “making a big mistake” by transferring sovereignty to Mauritius in exchange for continued use of the airbase. However, in February, Trump had described it as the “best” deal the Prime Minister could make under the circumstances and endorsed the handover during Starmer’s visit to the White House last year.
The agreement would have seen the UK cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while leasing Diego Garcia for 99 years to maintain the military base. The US had not formally agreed to amend a 1966 treaty concerning the islands, which ultimately led the UK to drop the bill.
As a result, new legislation on Chagos is not expected to be included in the King’s Speech in May, which outlines the government’s legislative agenda.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said on X that the Labour government’s delay in dropping the bill is “another damning indictment of a prime minister, who fought to hand over British sovereign territory and pay £35bn to use a crucial military base which was already ours”.
In February, The Guardian reported that Trump withdrew his support because the UK would not permit its airbases to be used for a pre-emptive US strike on Iran. Last month, Iran struck the joint base after warning that British lives were at risk, following Starmer’s authorisation for the US to conduct further strikes from UK bases.
At the time, Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer told MPs that discussions with American counterparts were paused and that the parliamentary process related to the treaty would resume at an appropriate time. Starmer has permitted US forces to use UK bases, including Diego Garcia, only for defensive missions against Iran. This month, he faced increased pressure to limit access after Trump threatened that “a whole civilisation” would be destroyed if Iran ignored his demands, before a ceasefire was later agreed.
To clarify Falconer’s comments, the Foreign Office stated there was no formal pause or set deadline, and that timings would be announced “in the usual way”.
The Chagos Islands were designated as the British Indian Ocean Territory in 1965 and separated from Mauritius, which gained independence in 1968. The UK forcibly evicted thousands of Chagos islanders, who have since pursued a series of legal claims for compensation in British courts.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the UK pausing its Chagos Islands legislation following the US withdrawal of support
Beginner Definition Questions
1 What are the Chagos Islands
The Chagos Islands are a group of islands in the Indian Ocean The UK administers them as the British Indian Ocean Territory but Mauritius claims sovereignty over them
2 What was the UKs Chagos Islands legislation
It was a proposed UK law aimed at formally settling the longrunning dispute with Mauritius over sovereignty The details were not public but it was likely a negotiated package involving compensation environmental protections and potentially some form of shared management or a pathway to Mauritian sovereignty
3 What does put on hold mean in this context
It means the UK government has paused the process of introducing and debating the proposed law in Parliament The plan is effectively shelved for the foreseeable future
4 Why does the United States have a role in this
The US operates a critical military base on Diego Garcia the largest island in the Chagos archipelago The UK leases the island to the US Therefore any change to the islands status directly impacts US strategic interests and its support was considered essential for any deal
Intermediate CauseEffect Questions
5 Why did the US withdraw its backing
The US likely withdrew due to strategic concerns They may have feared that any change in sovereignty or management could complicate their longterm access to the Diego Garcia base create new operational restrictions or set a precedent they disliked The exact reasons are diplomatic but security guarantees were paramount
6 What was the international legal pressure on the UK
In 2019 the International Court of Justice and the UN General Assembly both stated that the UK should end its administration of the Chagos Islands and complete the decolonization of Mauritius This created significant diplomatic pressure for the UK to reach a settlement
7 Who are the Chagossians
The Chagossians are the indigenous people who were forcibly removed from the islands by the UK in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for the US military base Their right to return and compensation is a central part of the dispute
8 What happens to the Diego Garcia base now
In the short term nothing changes The base continues to
