Under a $4.6bn deal, Britain hands over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while retaining control of a UK-U.S. military base on Diego Garcia – the largest of the islands.
Britain signed the deal with Mauritius after a last-gasp injunction was overturned, securing itself a lease for the U.S.-UK Diego Garcia air base for the next century.
Under the terms, the UK will pay Mauritius an average of $136 million annually to lease the base for a minimum of 99 years.
The deal also created a trust fund to support the Chagossians, stating that “Mauritius is free to implement a program of resettlement” on the islands, excluding Diego Garcia. However, it does not mandate resettlement.
Crucially, U.S. President Donald Trump backed the agreement during a February meeting with Starmer at the White House, saying: “I have a feeling it’s going to work out very well.”
