UK to hand over Chagos Islands in historic deal with Mauritius

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to cede British sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a controversial agreement estimated to cost the UK taxpayer around £9 billion.

The deal, due to be signed during a virtual ceremony, includes a 99-year leaseback arrangement for the Diego Garcia military base, which is jointly operated with the US, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The agreement, negotiated by Labour’s special envoy for BIOT, Jonathan Powell, will also establish a “Chagos fund” providing UK development aid to Mauritius. Though the Foreign Office has kept specific terms confidential, it is understood the deal will involve a large upfront payment and ongoing rental fees for use of the base.

The deal has been met with strong opposition from the Conservative and Reform UK parties, who argue it endangers national security due to Mauritius’s growing diplomatic ties with Russia, Iran, and China.

Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, criticised the move: “We stand on the verge of another day of shame for Britain – a betrayal of our national interest by Labour, conveniently timed for the last day before parliamentary recess... Whenever Labour negotiates, Britain loses.”

The Chagos Islands, part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, have long been at the centre of a sovereignty dispute. The UK lost a 2019 International Court of Justice case that ruled Mauritius should control the islands. Critics argue the islands were wrongly retained when Mauritius gained independence in 1968, and point to the forced expulsion of native Chagossians in the 1960s.

The Labour government maintains the deal is a strategic move to safeguard the military base from legal challenges. A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are working to sign a deal which will safeguard the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia, which is vital to our national security.”

Despite concerns, the agreement has the backing of US security officials and was supported by President Joe Biden. President Donald Trump also signalled approval during Starmer’s February visit to Washington, saying he had “a feeling it’s going to work out very well.”

By Vafa Guliyeva