A High Court judge has granted an injunction preventing the UK government from concluding its agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Justice Goose issued the interim relief order on Thursday following a legal challenge brought by two Chagossian women against the Foreign Office. The injunction blocks any “conclusive or legally binding step” to complete negotiations on transferring the British Indian Ocean Territory.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had been scheduled to attend a virtual signing ceremony with Mauritian government representatives on Thursday morning under the proposed agreement.
The deal would transfer UK sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius whilst maintaining a 99-year lease allowing Britain and the United States to continue operating a joint military base on Diego Garcia, the archipelago’s largest island.
The court will hear the case again at 1030 GMT on Thursday.
Legal action was brought by Chagossian women Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe. Their lawyer Michael Polak previously stated the government’s approach represented “a continuation of their terrible treatment by the authorities in the past” by failing to conduct formal consultation with Chagossian people.
The judge’s order requires the defendant to “maintain the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom over the British Indian Ocean Territory until further order.”
Britain separated the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965, purchasing the islands for £3 million when Mauritius remained a British colony. Mauritius argues it was illegally forced to cede the territory to gain independence.
In the late 1960s, Britain permitted US military base construction on Diego Garcia and forcibly removed thousands of islanders. A 1971 immigration order prevented their return.
International pressure has mounted on the UK to return the islands, with both the UN’s International Court of Justice and General Assembly supporting Mauritius’s sovereignty claims.
The previous Conservative government began negotiations in late 2022 but reached no agreement before losing power in the 2024 general election. Conservative politicians have criticised the current deal, with shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel calling it “botched and humiliating.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described potential payments as “eye-watering” and suggested transferring the islands to the US instead.
Reports indicate Downing Street had overcome concerns about political backlash, with US President Donald Trump reportedly endorsing the agreement following February discussions with Starmer.
(With information from the Guardian and BBC)
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