World Politics Europe

UK pauses Chagos Islands deal

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.

Chagos Archipelago Public domain
Chagos Archipelago
Archipelago in the Indian Ocean
Keir Starmer
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024
Donald Trump
President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)
Mauritius
Island sovereign state off of East Africa in the Indian Ocean
Diego Garcia
Mauritus atoll in the Indian Ocean