politics
UK Defence Secretary Reviews Chagos Islands Deal Details
The Independent reported that Dan Jarvis said he is examining the Chagos sovereignty transfer plans and will discuss them with U.S. allies. The May 2025 agreement remains unratified after stalling in Parliament.
The IndependentAudio version
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UK Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis stated on July 6 that he was looking very closely at the detail of plans to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. He added that he would discuss the matter with American allies and described questions about redirecting funds to defence spending as a fair question.
Tory MP Dr Luke Evans asked during defence questions in the Commons whether the deal had been cancelled and whether billions previously intended for Mauritius had been moved to defence spending.
Jarvis responded directly to the query without confirming cancellation. An agreement signed in May 2025 would hand sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius while leasing back the Diego Garcia military base for 99 years. The UK would pay Mauritius an average of £101 million per year under the terms, for a total of about £3.4 billion.
The final draft of the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill stalled during the last parliamentary session after objections from U.S. President Donald Trump. The agreement has been signed by both governments but has not been ratified and no payments have been made.
Downing Street had previously stated that transferring sovereignty was the best way to protect the vital military base on Diego Garcia. Opponents have estimated the real cost could reach about £35 billion when adjusted for inflation.
