Trump signs off on UK's Chagos Islands deal

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UK's Chagos Islands

The Chagos Archipelago (/ˈtʃɑːɡəs, -ɡoʊs/) or Chagos Islands (formerly the Bassas de Chagas, and later the Oil Islands) is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean about 500 kilometres (310 mi) south of the Maldives archipelago. This chain of islands is the southernmost archipelago of the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge, a long submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean. In its north are the Salomon Islands, Nelsons Island and Peros Banhos; towards its south-west are the Three Brothers, Eagle Islands, Egmont Islands and Danger Island; southeast of these is Diego Garcia, by far the largest island. All are low-lying atolls, save for a few extremely small instances, set around lagoons.

The islands of the Chagos Archipelago were uninhabited until the late 18th century, when the French established copra plantations using slave labour in 1793. The islands have been British territory since 1814 when they were ceded to Britain with Mauritius (which then included the Seychelles).

In November 2022, the UK government launched a new British nationality route for individuals of Chagossian descent. It allows them to become British citizens free of charge, and to build their future in the UK should they wish to.

In October 2024, the UK announced it is giving up sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a deal, which is still subject to finalising a treaty.

In October 2024, the British government announced it would hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius subject to finalisation of a treaty. The Chagossian people living in the UK have criticised the deal for not having included the Chagossian community in the decision-making process.

Why does Mauritius want the Chagos Islands?

Mauritius contends that there were "close economic, cultural and social links between Mauritius and the Chagos Archipelago" and that "the administration of the Chagos Archipelago as a constituent part of Mauritius continued without interruption throughout that period of British rule".

On 27 February 2025, speaking in the Oval Office alongside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he was willing to support the agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius

Trump signs off on UK's Chagos Islands deal

The Daily Digest

Story by thedailydigest.com

4/04/2025

트럼프, 영국의 차고스 제도 거래에 서명

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Last UK colony returned

President Donald Trump has signed off on the UK's deal to hand the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius which sees Britain shedding its last African colony after years of controversy.

마지막 영국 식민지 반환

도널드 트럼프(Donald Trump) 대통령이 차고스 제도를 모리셔스에 반환하기로 한 영국의 협상에 서명했으며, 이로써 영국은 수년간의 논란 끝에 마지막 아프리카 식민지를 포기하게 되었습니다.

Military base kept

The deal means that the joint UK-US military base on the archipelago's biggest island Diego Garcia will continue in UK-US hands on a 99-year-lease which the two countries will pay for, racking up a bill worth billions of dollars.

Distrust among Republicans

The signing comes after a six-month hiatus with Republicans, including Trump's secretary of state Marco Rubio distrusting the deal, suggesting it would compromise the security of the military base due to Mauritius’s ties to China.

The caveat

Britain signed the deal in the Autumn on the condition that Diego García – one of the most secretive and unreachable locations in the world – would remain in US-UK hands.

The expulsion of the islanders

When the chain of around 60 islands in the Indian Ocean, halfway between East Africa and Indonesia, were taken from Mauritius in 1965 – in return for its independence in 1968 according to Mauritius – around 1,000 islanders were forcibly uprooted from their homes.

Pets killed

Dogs and other pets were rounded up and killed by the Brits and the islanders – the Chagossians – were herded onto cargo ships and taken to Mauritius or the Seychelles.

"Happy life"

Chagossian Liseby Elysé told the International Court of Justice many years later that people on the islands had a “happy life” and “did not lack anything” before the expulsions, the BBC reports.

"Uprooted like animals"

“One day the administrator told us that we had to leave our island, leave our houses and go away. All persons were unhappy. But we had no choice. They did not give us any reason,” she said. “Nobody would like to be uprooted from the island where he was born, to be uprooted like animals.”

Righting the wrongs

Now the Brits are promising to make amends. Politico reports that the deal with Mauritius promises to “address wrongs of the past and demonstrate the commitment of both parties to support the welfare of Chagossians.”

Resettlement and investment

Those islanders who wish to return to any of the Chagos islands bar Diego García will be able to take advantage of the Mauritius-run resettlement program while the UK has pledged to invest in infrastructure to boost the economic prospects of the islanders.

The military base rumbles on

Meanwhile, it will be business as usual for the military base, an important strategic US site for storing its navy ships and long-range bomber aircraft, which the UK valued as a chance to maintain close military ties with the US, according to author David Vine on the BBC.

A tourist paradise with no tourists

About 1,000 miles from the nearest land mass, Diego García is a paradise of white sand, lush vegetation and crystal clear waters but you won’t find a single tourist there.

No way in

Visitors need a permit which is very hard to obtain and there are no commercial flights. Arriving by boat is equally tricky as boats also need a permit and this is only granted for those sailing to the archipelago’s outer islands.

Unlawful actions

Diego García was chosen to be a military base due to its location and relatively small population. But the expulsion of those Chagossians who did live there and on the neighboring islands was found to have been unlawful by the UK High Court in 2000.

"Footprint of Freedom"

Ironically, at Diego García’s airbase a sign on a hangar declares: “Diego Garcia. Footprint of Freedom,” above images of the US and British flags.

Deal triggers row in UK

The decision to hand back the islands was not only frowned upon by Trump's team, it also sparked a row among British politicians and within the Conservative Party which, in fact, initiated the negotiations to hand the territory back.

Security fears echoed

These Tories aligned with Rubio, warning that the deal will leave the islands vulnerable to intervention from China while compromising Western defense and security in the southern hemisphere, according to The Independent.

Boris Johnson: "sheer political correctness"

Former Prime Minister and Brexiteer Boris Johnson called the deal “feeble” and “sheer political correctness,” framing it as “a desire to look as though we’re unbundling the last relics of our empire,” reports The Guardian.

Trump's optimism

But Trump told Starmer during his visit to the White House in February that ,he was "inclined to go with your country" over the deal and that he thought it would "work out very well."

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