Chagos Resettlement Deal Stalls as Trump Opposition and Parliamentary Delays Leave Ageing Islanders in Limbo

A landmark agreement that would allow displaced Chagossians to return to their Indian Ocean homeland remains in limbo, with elderly members of the community warning they may not live long enough to see it implemented. The treaty, signed by Britain and Mauritius in May 2025, would transfer sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius while permitting resettlement on all islands except Diego Garcia, which would remain a joint UK-US military base. However, the agreement has yet to enter into force, stalled by political opposition in Washington and legislative hurdles in London.

The Chagos archipelago was separated from Mauritius by Britain in 1965, three years before the island nation gained independence. Britain subsequently established a military facility with the United States on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the group. Between 1968 and 1973, British authorities removed an estimated 1,400 to 1,700 Chagossians from the islands, resettling many in Mauritius and the Seychelles, with others later moving to the United Kingdom. It was made illegal to remain on or return to the islands without permission.

Olivier Bancoult, leader of the Chagos Refugees Group, described the toll of the prolonged displacement. He recounted how, at a recent funeral, sand from Chagos was scattered into an elder's tomb to honour the deceased's unfulfilled wish to die in his homeland. "Chagossians born on the archipelago are now aged between 58 and 100. We are growing old, and we have lost several Chagossian elders this year alone," he said.

Despite the setbacks, Bancoult expressed defiance in the face of US President Donald Trump's intervention in the process. Trump criticised the agreement in January, calling it "an act of great stupidity" and questioning whether it adequately protected the Diego Garcia military base. "We remain unshaken by Trump's interference in the Chagos deal," Bancoult said, pointing to a 2019 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, a 2021 judgement from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and the 2025 treaty itself as evidence that international law supports the Chagossian cause.

The treaty, signed on May 22, 2025, provides for Mauritius to exercise sovereignty over the archipelago while allowing the UK to retain rights over Diego Garcia for an initial 99-year period. It also enables Mauritius to arrange resettlement for Chagossians on islands other than Diego Garcia. But the legislation required to implement the agreement could not complete its passage during the 2024-26 parliamentary session, which ended on April 29, according to a statement the UK government made to Parliament in April.

The issue returned to the diplomatic agenda in September. On September 21, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK would work with Mauritius and the United States on a way forward that secures the operation of Diego Garcia and protects UK national security. Five days later, Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam travelled to London for talks with British National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell and other officials. Ramgoolam remains in London, with the Mauritian government saying the discussions would cover recent developments concerning the archipelago.

Mauritius has disclosed little publicly about the substance of the latest talks. At the United Nations General Assembly in September, Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful reiterated that Mauritius' sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago was "non-negotiable." He described the 2025 agreement as a vindication of international law and said Mauritius remained committed to diplomacy and dialogue. Beyond official statements and communiques, however, the Mauritian government has provided few details about the current discussions.

For younger Chagossians, the delays carry cultural as well as political consequences. Chrisyl Wong-Hang-Sun, a PhD researcher in anthropology at the University of Edinburgh, said years of displacement and migration are making it harder to preserve Chagossian culture. "During my fieldwork, many diaspora members expressed concerns over cultural loss, such as words in Chagossian Creole and recipes that are difficult to recreate abroad," she said. "Descendants of Chagossians, myself included, long to know the islands of their relatives and ancestors."

The dispute has also exposed political divisions among Chagossians themselves. The Chagos Refugees Group is at odds with UK-based second-generation Chagossian Misley Mandarin and his supporters, who favour resettlement under British rather than Mauritian sovereignty and have received backing from Reform UK. Wong-Hang-Sun said these differing political opinions, spanning the UK, Mauritius and the Seychelles, are "very nuanced" and should be recognised as negotiations continue. Both governments, she added, need to "find ways to prioritise and engage with the Chagossian diaspora as a whole."

International relations consultant Bruno Donat, who has previously worked at the United Nations, said Mauritius should focus on sustained engagement with diplomatic partners, including the African Union and small states, to maintain momentum on the issue. His comments underscore the broader diplomatic effort required to bring the treaty into force amid competing geopolitical interests.

The impasse reflects the complex legacy of Britain's colonial-era removal of the Chagossian population, a displacement that international courts have increasingly scrutinised. While the 2019 ICJ advisory opinion and the 2021 maritime tribunal ruling bolstered Mauritius' claim to sovereignty, the practical implementation of the 2025 treaty depends on political will in London and Washington. Trump's opposition has added a layer of uncertainty, raising questions about whether the US military's presence on Diego Garcia will continue to shape the islands' future.

For the ageing Chagossian community, the stakes are deeply personal. Bancoult's account of scattering Chagos sand at a funeral captures the sense of loss that has defined generations of displaced islanders. With each passing year, the number of those who were born on the archipelago and retain direct memories of it dwindles. The renewed talks in September have revived hopes of resettlement, but for many elderly Chagossians, the passage of time remains the most urgent obstacle.

The negotiations also highlight the tension between strategic military interests and the rights of indigenous populations. Diego Garcia has served as a key US base for decades, and any agreement must balance the operational needs of the facility with the aspirations of Chagossians seeking to return to their ancestral islands. As talks continue in London, the question of whether the treaty's promises will be fulfilled in time for the remaining first-generation Chagossians remains unresolved, leaving a community that has waited more than half a century to return home still waiting.