Chagos: 'We are treated like pawns,' say members of the Chagossian community living in Crawley

Elder members of the Chagossian community residing in Crawley, West Sussex, England, feel they are being treated like "pawns" in the geopolitical negotiations surrounding their homeland, the Chagos Archipelago. This was reported in an article by 'The Telegraph' published on Tuesday, January 27. Exiled for several decades, they are demanding the right to return home and denouncing their exclusion from discussions between governments.

In May 2025, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer finalized an agreement for the transfer of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. However, the UK would retain usage rights to Diego Garcia, which houses a joint American-British military base, under a 99-year lease estimated at over £30 billion (Rs 1,887,900,000,000, or one trillion eight hundred eighty-seven billion nine hundred million Mauritian rupees). This agreement has reignited anger among the Chagossian diaspora, who claim they were never consulted.

In Crawley, where about 3,500 Chagossians live, the feeling of abandonment is palpable. "Governments are deciding the future of our island without us," laments Frankie Bontemps, a member of the Chagossian Voices collective. According to him, the indigenous residents are paying the price for diplomatic compromises that prolong their exile.

A recent intervention by former President Donald Trump, who dubbed the agreement "stupid," has sparked a glimmer of hope among the exiles. Many see it as an opportunity to challenge a process they deem unjust. They particularly highlight what they view as a double standard by the British government, which is quick to defend the right to self-determination for Greenland but remains silent on that of the Chagossians.

The Chagos Archipelago was separated from Mauritius in 1965 by the UK. Between 1967 and 1973, the indigenous population was expelled to facilitate the establishment of the Diego Garcia military base. Although Chagossians were granted British citizenship in 2002, many feel this recognition does not compensate for the loss of their territory.

Source and image credit: The Telegraph