Does Mauritius respect British democracy?

As maurice-info reports, the Mauritian Government says in a Communique yesterday that Chagossians currently living on the Chagos Islands are “unauthorised.”

And referring to the UK—Mauritius Chagos Islands handover of sovereignty treaty deal, that there is “no visibility as to when this would occur.”

Why is the Mauritian Government commenting on the actions of British Chagossian citizens on islands that are still British sovereign overseas territory?

Under British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) rules it is true that it is officially illegal for anyone to live on or visit the islands without BIOT permission. The BIOT court is due to rule on the Chagossian settlers’ re-settlement claim on 13 March, when it will consider other legal arguments presented by the Chagossians’ lawyers. For the Chagossian settlers they will argue that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has committed crimes against humanity, as the Independent newspaper reports.

Meanwhile the Chagos Islands sovereignty treaty Bill handing sovereignty to Mauritius (and signed by leaders last year) is due to return to the UK Houses of Parliament. The treaty is not valid without British MPs voting for the treaty to become law.

In addition the UK Government is still in talks with the US about the military base on the Chagos Island of Diego Garcia. President Trump can veto the treaty Bill, although the British government and international lawyers may say this is arguable.

Is Mauritius worried the British court – and British MPs - will rule in favour of Chagossians’ rights in some way?

This would be an anti-democratic approach by the Mauritius Government towards the treaty deal and democracy. Mauritius, as a former colony of Britain, have a democratic and legal argument for their claim to sovereignty of the islands. Yet the Mauritius Government need to recognise too that all Chagossians should have their rights recognised in the treaty deal. Currently they don’t. As the Communique itself notes, Chagossians will only get “an orderly resettlement” under the treaty, whatever that means.

Also the Mauritius Government should democratically respect that the British people, and their elected representatives as well as the elected British Government, have a right to decide for themselves what they do about the sovereignty deal, and when.

FOLLOW debates with

Tessa Clarke, Editor, THE CHAGOS FILES

on X at @tessaclarkelive

THE CHAGOS FILES TEAM/ 4 MAR 2026