UK pauses Chagos Islands deal

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer shelved the agreement after the Trump administration formally withdrew its support, citing national security concerns.

The islands have been a point of international dispute for decades, with the UN previously advising the UK to return them to Mauritius.

Trump’s intervention has effectively frozen the process, with former diplomats suggesting it could take another 50 years to reach a new resolution.

Representatives of the displaced Chagossian people have now asked the UN to intervene, fearing the collapse of the deal will further delay their right to return.