The British government has put on hold its plan to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius following opposition from the United States, according to reports on Saturday. The islands host the strategically important U.S.-UK Diego Garcia military base.
The proposed legislation underpinning the agreement will not be included in the government’s next parliamentary agenda, The Times reported, citing sources. The deal had required Washington’s backing due to the continued U.S. military presence on Diego Garcia.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said the UK would continue efforts to secure formal approval from the United States, while stressing that ensuring the long-term security of the base remains a priority.
U.S. President Donald Trump had previously criticised the agreement, calling it a “big mistake” in February. Under the proposed arrangement, Britain would transfer sovereignty of the islands but retain control of the Diego Garcia base under a 99-year lease allowing continued U.S. operations.
A UK government spokesperson said the deal remains the “best way to protect the long-term future of the base,” but confirmed it would only proceed with U.S. support. “We continue to engage with the U.S. and Mauritius,” the spokesperson added.
Britain forcibly displaced up to 2,000 indigenous Chagossians in the late 1960s and 1970s to establish the military base on Diego Garcia, a long-standing issue that continues to draw international criticism.
Tensions between London and Washington have increased in recent weeks amid disagreements over foreign policy, including the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran and Britain’s initial refusal to allow the use of its airbases for strikes at the start of the conflict.
Mauritius Attorney General Gavin Glover said the UK and U.S. would need to find “common ground” to move forward, adding that the pause in the deal was “not a surprise.” He said strained relations between Starmer and Trump lie at the heart of the issue.
A spokesperson for Indigenous Chagossian People said there had been early hesitation from senior figures in the Trump administration and stressed that the Chagossian community has been overlooked throughout the process.
The group also raised concerns over the cost of the stalled negotiations and questioned the legality of any arrangement that does not guarantee the Chagossians’ right to self-determination. They called for the “dignified resettlement” of displaced islanders.