Chagossians are rejoicing after an injunction preventing their removal from the archipelago was maintained by a judge.
Four Chagossians arrived on the islands last week to protest against the British Government’s deal to hand over the territory to Mauritius.
They are refusing to leave despite being handed eviction papers by a British patrol, which warned them they could face fines or even jail if they did not leave.
Last week, lawyers representing the men successfully applied for an injunction to prevent their removal for at least seven days.
With the deadline fast approaching, it has now been determined that the Chagossians will be allowed to remain pending a full hearing of the case.
The matter will proceed to a full hearing on 13 March, where the substantive legal arguments will be considered.
The judge has imposed specific conditions governing support vessel access and the presence of individuals arriving by boat.
Crew numbers will be limited and they will also need certain qualifications.
The Chagossians have been handed some respite
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CHAGOS GOVERNMENT-IN-EXILE
The Chagossians had sailed to the islands from Galle Harbour on the south-western coast of Sri Lanka.
Adam Holloway, the ex-Conservative MP for Gravesham in Kent, who has now defected to Reform UK, helped the group with their return and also assisted with the construction of a settlement.
Britain has controlled the Chagos Islands since 1814 and evicted its inhabitants in the 1960s to pave the path for a military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia.
The islands became formally established as an overseas territory in 1965 after the British Government handed Mauritius a £3million grant to retain the archipelago.
Keir Starmer says the move is necessary to secure the Diego Garcia military base’s long-term future
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PA
Last year, the UK Government announced plans to hand over control of the islands to Mauritius, insisting the future of the military base had been threatened by international court decisions.
The base, which belongs to both the UK and the US, will remain under the same stewardship as part of the deal.
The UK has agreed to pay £101million annually for 99 years for this privilege.
A hitch in the road to the deal’s completion for Labour is US approval, which remains in the balance.
While the Government admits US backing is needed, President Trump has repeatedly shifted his stance.
Last week, Mr Trump urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to “not give away Diego Garcia”.
The deal has also not gone down well with many people of Chagossian descent, who feel the British Government is betraying them.
Chagossians were granted the right to claim British citizenship in 2022, but want to see the UK retain sovereignty over the islands with a view to one day making a return to their homeland.
The First Minister of the Chagos Government-in-exile, Misley Mandarin, told GB News the treaty should be “put in the bin”.
Speaking to Martin Daubney from the newly established settlement, he said: “We have supplies. We’re here. I’m fighting for my country to stay British.
“I’m staying put. We are 130-miles away from the Diego Garcia base.
“We pose no threat [to the base]. We come to our homeland and they want to remove us.
“They’re going to have to drag me [off the island].”