THE CHAGOS FILES investigates issues about democracy and The Chagos Islands Question.

Set up by journalist Tessa Clarke THE CHAGOS FILES discovers how democracy is being re-interpreted and democratic rights ignored.

The sovereignty of the islands, a British Overseas Territory, is currently hotly contested. While political leaders discuss the future of the territory behind closed doors, they deny the democratic rights of the Chagossian people who were born there and their families by not including them in negotiations or allowing them a guaranteed right to return. The British public, whose sovereignty of the Chagos Islands is being relinquished and handed over to another state, are not being widely consulted to encourage debate, scrutiny and accountability of our leaders either. Perhaps Mauritian Chagossians and people want to share in the debate and have a view too?

THE CHAGOS FILES team research stories and ideas that are under-reported or missing from mainstream media coverage. The British government has agreed in principle to hand sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius after secretive negotiations. We want to inform the public what’s going on.

At a time of geopolitical realignment and changing elite political ideas that increasingly ignore national boundaries and people's claims of sovereignty, THE CHAGOS FILES reveals how leaders and international organisations increasingly shut us out of the conversation and sidestep accountability.

THE CHAGOS FILES reports raise questions about the importance of democratic rights as a universal value for us all: the right to live where you are born and hold your leaders to account.

Join our THE CHAGOS FILES mailing list below to receive updates about our work.

We need your support to continue our research.

• to republish our reports, photographs and video, please contact us

• follow the conversation on X and Facebook.