Chagossians living in Britain view recent uncertainties surrounding the UK-Mauritius agreement to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands as a "last chance" to push for a reconsideration

of the deal. Determined to make their voices heard, they plan to protest outside the British parliament.

The agreement, reached in October, would hand control of the islands to Mauritius while maintaining British oversight of the U.S.-operated military base on Diego Garcia. However, criticism from a U.S. ally of President-elect Donald Trump and the new Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam has cast doubt on the deal.

For the Chagossian diaspora, forcibly removed from their Indian Ocean homeland over 50 years ago to make way for the Diego Garcia base, these developments have reignited hope. Many argue they cannot support an agreement from which they were excluded.

"Even if they don’t listen to us, we are resolved to take our demands to parliament because we believe this is our last chance," said Frankie Bontemps, 55, during a community gathering in Crawley, a town south of London where many Chagossians have settled. Bontemps warned that protests could escalate to sit-ins or hunger strikes if necessary, and like others, he has called for a referendum.

The UK has controlled the region since 1814, detaching the Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1965—just three years before Mauritius gained independence—to establish the British Indian Ocean Territory. This led to the forced displacement of the islands' residents, including Bontemps’ family, to Mauritius and Seychelles, where they faced harsh living conditions. Changes to British nationality laws eventually allowed many to resettle in the UK, forming a tight-knit community in Crawley.

Under the proposed deal, Mauritius would be permitted to implement a resettlement program on all islands except Diego Garcia, the largest island and former home to most Chagossians, which will remain under British and U.S. control for 99 years. The agreement also includes a fund to benefit the Chagossian community.

However, for Chagossians like Bontemps, the exclusion of their voices remains a sticking point. The community continues to fight for recognition, inclusion, and justice for the forced displacement they endured decades ago. Photo by Alvin Tirant, Wikimedia commons.