Chagos Islands: Sovereignty
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he expects negotiations with Mauritius on the (a) sovereignty of the Chagos Islands and (b) return of Chagossians who wish to resettle will conclude.
Answered by Stephen Doughty
On 3 October the UK and Mauritius reached a political agreement on the sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) / Chagos Archipelago. This agreement secures the effective operation of the vital UK-US military base on Diego Garcia well into the next century. Following Mauritian elections, the Government will seek Treaty signature and ratification when Parliamentary time allows. Under this agreement Mauritius will be free to implement a programme of resettlement on the islands, other than Diego Garcia. The terms of resettlement will be for Mauritius to determine. Mauritius and the UK will also now work to start a new programme of visits to the Chagos Archipelago for Chagossians.
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