Chagos Reversion: The British Government Suspends the Treaty

Title: Chagos Reversion: The British Government Suspends the Treaty

Date: Wed 05/11/2025 - 10:44

An amendment concerning the consultation of the Chagossians threatens the passage of the bill.

The British government led by Sir Keir Starmer suspended the committee examination in the House of Lords of the bill aimed at ratifying the treaty regarding the Chagos Islands on Tuesday morning, due to the threat of parliamentary defeat. The bill was initially scheduled for debate that day. This pause, prompted by a Conservative amendment requiring consultation with the Chagossians before any handover to Mauritius, provides a respite for opponents of the issue, who hope for a complete withdrawal of the legislation.

The amendment, submitted by Lord Callanan, pertains to the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill. It mandates the government to seek the opinion of the Chagossians, who were forcibly displaced from the Diego Garcia islands and other atolls between 1968 and 1973 by the British, primarily resettled in Mauritius and, to a lesser extent, in Seychelles.

British ministers, concerned about a potential alliance between the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives—given that Labour does not hold a majority in the House of Lords—preferred to postpone the procedure to avoid what they deemed as a burdensome consultation. Last month, the text was approved in the House of Commons by a vote of 320 to 171, where the government has a comfortable majority. However, any amendments made by the Lords could be overturned by the MPs.

Criticized by Conservatives and the Reform UK party as a "capitulation agreement" threatening British security, the treaty aims to preserve the Diego Garcia military base, used for intelligence operations and strikes in the Middle East. Opponents point to Mauritius's alleged connections with Russia and China, considered potentially risky, despite assurances from Port Louis and the content of the bill. The British Foreign Office states that clauses explicitly prohibit Beijing and Moscow from establishing espionage bases on the neighboring islands.