Chagos Islands deal paused by last-minute legal action

The federal government has quickly been banned from concluding talks on the Chagos Islands deal by a last-minute injunction by a Excessive Court docket choose.

At 02:25 BST Mr Justice Goose granted “interim reduction” to 2 Chagossian ladies who had introduced a case towards the International Workplace.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had been anticipated to attend a digital signing ceremony with representatives of the Mauritian authorities on Thursday morning.

The settlement would see the UK hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, however enable the UK and US to proceed utilizing a navy base positioned on the Indian Ocean archipelago for an preliminary interval of 99 years.

The UK authorities is but to set out the estimated funds the British taxpayer would make to Mauritius as a part of the deal, however it’s anticipated to run into the billions.

Responding to the courtroom injunction, a authorities spokesperson mentioned: “We don’t touch upon ongoing authorized instances. This deal is the suitable factor to guard the British folks and our nationwide safety.”

Mauritius Legal professional Normal Gavin Glover mentioned: “Because the matter is because of be heard shortly at the moment, it will not be applicable for us to make any feedback.”

A listening to on the case started shortly after 10:30.

The authorized motion was introduced by two Chagossian ladies, Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, who wish to return to stay on the islands.

Below each the present association and the proposed new deal, Chagossians are prevented from returning to Diego Garcia, the biggest of the islands which is house to the UK-US navy base.

Earlier this 12 months, their lawyer Michael Polak mentioned: “The federal government’s try to present away the Chagossians’ homeland while failing to carry a proper session with the Chagossian folks is a continuation of their horrible remedy by the authorities prior to now.

“They continue to be the folks with the closest connection to the islands, however their wants and desires are being ignored.”

In his early-morning order, the choose mentioned: “The defendant shall take no conclusive or legally binding step to conclude its negotiations regarding the attainable switch of the British Indian Ocean Territory, also called the Chagos Archipelago, to a overseas authorities or bind itself as to the actual phrases of any such switch.”

“The defendant is to keep up the jurisdiction of the UK over the British Indian Ocean Territory till additional order.”

The order states that the choose granted the injunction “upon consideration of the claimant’s software for interim reduction made out of courtroom hours” and “upon studying the defendants’ response”.

On Thursday, representatives of the Chagossian neighborhood met International Workplace minister Stephen Doughty, for discussions on the sovereignty of the territory.

In a name instantly after the assembly, Jemmy Simon, from the Chagossian Voices group, advised the BBC there was “nothing in there [the deal] that’s any good for us”.

“I am past horrified and indignant proper now,” she mentioned.

The Chagos Archipelago was separated from Mauritius in 1965, when Mauritius was nonetheless a British colony.

Britain bought the islands for £3m, however Mauritius has argued it was illegally compelled to present away the islands as a way to get independence from Britain.

Within the late Sixties Britain invited the US to construct a navy base on Diego Garcia and eliminated 1000’s of individuals from their houses on the island.

An immigration order, issued in 1971, prevented the islanders from returning.

The Chagos islanders themselves – some in Mauritius and the Seychelles, however others residing in Crawley in Sussex – don’t converse with one voice on the destiny of their homeland.

Some are decided to return to stay on the remoted islands, some are extra targeted on their rights and standing within the UK, whereas others argue that the archipelago’s standing shouldn’t be resolved by outsiders.

Mylene Augustin, a member of the Chagossian neighborhood within the UK, mentioned she hoped the deal wouldn’t be signed in its present kind, saying she felt excluded from the negotiations between the UK and Mauritius over the islands.

“Like Bernadette and Bertrice, my dad was born on Diego Garcia. That is my heritage,” she mentioned. “[The court decision for interim relief] is nice. We have to have our self-determination… We have to have our rights.”

Lately, the UK has come underneath rising worldwide stress to return the islands to Mauritius, with each the United Nations’ prime courtroom and common meeting siding with Mauritius over sovereignty claims.

In late 2022, the earlier Conservative authorities started negotiations over management of the territory however didn’t attain an settlement by the point it misplaced energy within the 2024 common election.

The Labour authorities has argued that ongoing questions in regards to the UK’s proper to maintain the islands posed a threat to the way forward for the US-UK navy base.

Final week Defence Secretary John Healey mentioned the federal government needed to act “to cope with the jeopardy”.

Nonetheless, the proposals have been criticised, with opposition politicians elevating concern about Mauritius’ comparatively shut relationship to China and the quantity the deal will price.

Following the courtroom intervention, Conservative shadow overseas secretary Priti Patel mentioned: “Labour’s Chagos give up deal is unhealthy for our defence and safety pursuits, unhealthy for British taxpayers and unhealthy for British Chagossians.”

She mentioned the authorized intervention was a “humiliation for Keir Starmer and [Foreign Secretary] David Lammy”.

Reform UK chief Nigel Farage mentioned: “Regardless of the Chagos Islanders successful a Excessive Court docket injunction to forestall the making a gift of of the islands, the federal government will search to overturn this.

“Why is Starmer so determined to present away the islands? There is no such thing as a authorized want, it’ll price us roughly £52bn, and play into the arms of China. Why?”