The United Nations is reviewing whether Sir Keir Starmer’s proposed Chagos Islands deal breaches international human rights law by attempting to remove four islanders who have recently returned.
The Telegraph reports that James Tumbridge, attorney general for the Chagossian government, has filed an urgent submission to the UN human rights commissioner alleging Britain’s policy amounts to “ethnic cleansing and potentially crimes against humanity”.
The filing names Sir Keir Starmer and claims the removal of the four indigenous Chagossians currently residing on Île du Coin could violate “the right of indigenous peoples not to be forcibly removed from their lands”.
It argues that Britain’s historic expulsions in the 1960s and 1970s already breached minority rights and that any new eviction effort would “further entrench a continuing breach” of international law.
Strong UK opposition to Chagos deal
On Saturday, Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, said: “How ironic that international law may scupper Starmer’s vile attempt to deny Chagossians their rights.”
Dame Priti Patel MP, the shadow foreign secretary, said: “Keir Starmer spent decades in wigs and courtrooms defending everyone except the British national interest, and now the UN is on his doorstep. Poetic justice at its finest.
“We fought this outrageous surrender of British sovereign territory every step of the way, which has led to his Chagos vanity project now destined for the bin. Unlike Labour, Conservatives will always put our country first.”
Mauritius steps up fight for sovereignty
Mauritius has vowed to continue pressing its claim. Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramfal said: “We will spare no effort to seize any diplomatic or legal avenue to complete the decolonisation process. This is a matter of justice.”
The situation has been further inflamed by reports that the small group of Chagossians who returned to Île du Coin say they are facing restrictions on supplies.
One Chagossian leader, Misley Mandarin, said: “We were happy when we heard the giveaway had been halted. But even that good news turned to a very, very bad experience when our resupply boat was blocked.”
He added: “The British government removed us from the island in the 60s and 70s. Now, when we are back, they are trying to remove us in another way by not supplying us with humanitarian aid.”
Chagos Island demonstrators protest British occupation of the Indian Ocean archipelago (Photo: Jean Marc Poche/AFP)A second supply mission, described as carrying emergency provisions including water equipment, mosquito nets and bedding, was reportedly boarded by UK officials and police. Items were seized amid claims that undeclared goods were on board.
Former Conservative minister Kate Hoey criticised the Government, writing on social media: “This is just outrageous. Why is Keir Starmer ordering this?”
The Government maintains that the British Indian Ocean Territory Administration is responsible for regulating access to the territory and that vessel inspections are standard procedure for safety and security reasons.
Bill to hand Chagos to Mauritius put in ‘deep freeze’
The UN humanitarian submission come as Sir Keir was forced to shelve a Bill that would transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, which comprise around 60 islands, to Mauritius.
The Bill was expected to feature in the King’s Speech outlining the next parliamentary session’s agenda, but was put aside after opposition, including from Donald Trump. He described the proposal as “an act of great stupidity”, leaving the Government with “no choice” but to pause the legislation.
Lord McDonald outside his office at Christ’s College, Cambridge (Photo: Rob Hastings/i Paper)Former Foreign Office permanent secretary Lord Simon McDonald said the Government was forced to put the plan in the “deep freeze” as it struggles with an “openly hostile” US President.
Officials have not abandoned the plan entirely but time has run out to pass legislation before Parliament is dissolved in the coming weeks.
Asked about the delay, Lord McDonald, the top mandarin at the Foreign Office from 2015 to 2020, defended the UK Government’s position.
“The Government had no other choice. The UK had two objectives, one was to comply with international law, the other was to reinforce the relationship with the United States,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“When the President of the United States is openly hostile, the Government has to rethink, so this agreement, this treaty will go into the deep freeze for the time being.”
Asked whether the Government could have made better decisions along the way that might have helped realise its plans, he said ministers had to follow the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) 2019 advisory opinion that the archipelago should be handed to Mauritius.
He added: “There is a mood to disregard international law. It is being led by the United States.
“Russia, China have always been a bit ambivalent, but the US being equally ambivalent is noticed by everybody.
“The UK has always defined itself as a country which respects, upholds international law, and I think the Government is correct to keep that traditional policy.”
Under the terms of the deal the UK would lease back a British-US military base on the archipelago for 99 years, but the process of ratifying the treaty has stalled after it was publicly lambasted by Mr Trump.
Chagossians were forced to leave the central Indian Ocean territory by 1973 to make way for the military base on the island of Diego Garcia.
The US had agreed to the arrangement, but Mr Trump branded the deal a “big mistake” as his relationship with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer deteriorated over their conflicting views on Greenland and the Middle East war.
A Government source said: “Diego Garcia is a critical strategic asset for both the UK and the United States and securing its long‑term operational future is the sole purpose of this deal.
“We continue to believe the agreement is the best way to protect the long-term future of the base but we have always been clear that we would only proceed with US support.”
The ICJ decision is not legally binding, meaning the UK is not obliged in a court-enforceable sense to hand over the Chagos islands, although the advisory opinion carries strong political and moral weight.
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