A High Court judge has issued an injunction blocking the UK government from finalising its controversial agreement to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, just hours before the deal was expected to be approved.
The ruling was granted at 2:25am on Thursday by Mr Justice Goose, in response to legal action filed by Bertrice Pompe, a woman born on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago. Pompe is challenging the agreement on the grounds that it fails to account for the rights of Chagossians.
“The defendant shall take no conclusive or legally binding step to conclude its negotiations concerning the possible transfer of the British Indian Ocean Territory, also known as the Chagos Archipelago, to a foreign government or bind itself as to the particular terms of any such transfer,” Goose wrote in the court order, granting interim relief.
A full hearing is expected to take place at 10:30am on Thursday morning.
The UK had been due to announce the deal on Thursday, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer scheduled to attend a virtual ceremony with the Mauritian government. Reports indicate that Downing Street had recently lifted its hesitation about the timing of the announcement amid concerns of a political backlash.
Under the proposed arrangement, Britain would cede sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while leasing Diego Garcia for 99 years to continue operating the joint US-UK military base there. Though ministers have refused to disclose financial details, the lease is estimated to cost around £90 million a year.
A government spokesperson said, “We do not comment on ongoing legal cases. This deal is the right thing to protect the British people and our national security.”
The decision to proceed with the agreement has sparked unease within both the government and the Labour Party, with critics questioning the cost of the deal amid rising pressure on public spending, particularly in light of recent cuts to winter fuel payments and disability benefits, which some say contributed to Labour’s losses in the local elections.
Tensions surrounding the handover were further inflamed by the announcement of a policy U-turn by Starmer on winter fuel payments, signalling mounting concerns within Downing Street over the timing and optics of the Chagos deal.
Despite previous fears that US President Donald Trump would block the agreement — particularly due to Mauritius’ relationship with China and pressure from Republican officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio — Trump reportedly approved the deal after a February meeting with Starmer in the White House.
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