Chagossians given right to live on island in major victory over 'surrender' deal

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Mar 31, 2026 - 10:35

Chagossians given right to live on island in major victory over 'surrender' deal

Chagossians have been allowed to remain on their ancestral islands in a major victory for campaigners, following a judicial review.

Following widespread controversy surrounding Sir Keir Starmer's "surrender deal" of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius, the High Court has ruled in favour of the indigenous community and their right to "abode".

Following the judicial review heard on 13 March 2026, the Court has granted the claim and ruled that the long-standing removal of the Chagossians' right of abode is "unlawful", ordering that it be "quashed".

Misley Mandarin, Interim First Minister of the Chagossian people, said: "Today justice has finally begun to catch up with history. For generations we have lived with exile, with loss, and with the denial of our most basic rights.

"This judgment restores not just a legal principle, but our dignity as a people. We have returned peacefully to our homeland. We ask only to live, to remember, and to belong. Today the law has recognised what we have always known, that our connection to these islands cannot be erased."

The Supreme Court of the British Indian Ocean Territory issued an injunction earlier this year, blocking authorities from expelling Chagos Islanders who had travelled back to the archipelago in February, having disregarded official removal orders.

Separately, a judicial review was mounted against the sovereignty transfer itself.

Legal arguments contend that ministers' failure to formally consult Chagossian people breaches both the Equality Act 2010 and fundamental principles of administrative fairness.

Critics have accused the Government of surrendering the territory without genuinely understanding what its inhabitants wanted, describing the consultation process as wholly inadequate.

In February, First Minister of the Chagos Islands Misley Mandarin travelled with a small group to Ile du Coin, part of the Peros Banhos coral atoll.

Speaking to GB News from their settlement, Mr Mandarin remained defiant despite being issued removal papers by the Government.

He told the People's Channel: "The Chagos Islands have to stay British. If Keir Starmer removed my dad from those islands, I'm not afraid to say he couldn't have blood on his hands. Because my dad will die with sadness. He is so happy here."

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