It’s easy to take our democracy for granted. Until policy decisions are made by political leaders without consulting us. And democratic rights we thought were sacrosanct have disappeared. 

In the late 1960s and early 1970s the British government removed several thousand people living on The Chagos Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

The islands are known officially as British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). One of the islands is a UK-US military base called Diego Garcia.

Chagossian people and their families were sent mainly to Mauritius, the Seychelles and the UK. They are now dispersed all over the world including countries such as France and Switzerland.

For over 60 years those born on the islands and their descendants have been denied the democratic right to return to their homeland and to self-determination. Many are British citizens.

Today foreign policy negotiations and the way the islands are governed are kept secret from the British public. The UK and US Commanders run military operations and civilian life on Diego Garcia. Nobody can vote for them.

After secret negotiations, the new British government announced on 3 October 2024 it had agreed in principle to hand sovereignty of The Chagos Islands over to Mauritius. This year US President Trump has confirmed he agrees with the decision. Treaty details are being finalised.

To date the Chagossian people have been given no right to a seat at the negotiating table. Nor allowed a guaranteed right to resettle, as the Government recently admitted. Self-determination hasn’t even been mentioned.

Why isn’t the British government consulting the British public about what they think too?