United Kingdom: The Chagos Issue Remains at the Heart of Political Debates

The return of the Chagos Archipelago and its human consequences continue to divide the British political class. The Conservative Party, now in opposition, has reiterated its intention to use "all available legal avenues" to delay or prevent the full implementation of the agreement.

One of the most sensitive points of this agreement is the establishment of the Chagossian Trust Fund, which is intended to finance support programs, development, and ultimately, the voluntary resettlement of the Chagossian community located in Mauritius, Seychelles, and the United Kingdom.

On Thursday, in the House of Lords, two written questions submitted by Lord Peter Lilley (Conservative) specifically addressed the timeline and terms of the Chagossian Trust Fund as well as the functioning of the Chagossian Contact Group. In her written response, Baroness Chapman of Darlington, Minister of State for International Development and Africa, indicated that the government would publish a detailed ministerial statement before proceeding with the final ratification of the eligibility criteria for the resettlement of Chagossians and the governance and operational terms of the Trust Fund.

She also stated that the first meeting of the Chagossian Contact Group took place on September 2, 2025. This advisory group includes two representatives from each of the six main Chagossian organizations: Chagossian Voices (UK), UK Chagos Refugees Group, Chagos Islanders Movement, Chagos Refugees Group (Mauritius), Association of Chagossians of France, and Seychellois Chagossians Committee. The group will now meet quarterly to strengthen consultation mechanisms and collaboration between the British government and representatives of the Chagossian community.

Discussions on the initial endowment of the fund (estimated in the hundreds of millions of rupees over several years) and the specific criteria for granting aid are ongoing between London and Port Louis.

No date has been announced for the actual transfer of sovereignty of the archipelago to Mauritius, except for the military base at Diego Garcia, which will remain under joint British and American control for a renewable period of 99 years.