UK Government's Chagos Islands Agreement Halted by High Court Injunction

 LONDON, May 22 — A High Court judge has issued an emergency injunction blocking the UK government from finalising its proposed sovereignty transfer of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, delaying a controversial agreement set to be approved on Thursday.

The injunction, granted by Mr Justice Goose at 2:25 a.m. on Thursday morning, provides interim relief to Bertrice Pompe, a native of Diego Garcia—the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago—who is challenging the legality of the agreement in court. The judge ordered that the UK government “shall take no conclusive or legally binding step to conclude its negotiations concerning the possible transfer of the British Indian Ocean Territory… to a foreign government.” A full hearing on the matter is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. today.

The proposed deal, under which the UK would cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while retaining a 99-year lease over Diego Garcia for continued US-UK military operations, has stirred legal, political, and public controversy. The financial terms of the lease remain undisclosed, though reports suggest an annual cost of approximately £90 million.

Despite internal opposition and concerns over political fallout, Downing Street had lifted its initial hesitations and was prepared to greenlight the agreement. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was scheduled to participate in a virtual event with the Mauritian government to announce the deal. However, mounting legal resistance has now stalled the process.

Government officials have refrained from commenting on the ongoing litigation. A spokesperson stated only: “This deal is the right thing to protect the British people and our national security.”

Political divisions over the agreement have deepened in recent weeks. Within both the government and the Labour Party, criticism has emerged over the timing and financial implications of the deal, especially amid domestic budgetary strains. Proposed cuts to winter fuel payments and disability benefits—seen by some as contributing factors to Labour’s recent losses in the local elections—have heightened scrutiny.

Notably, the decision to proceed came shortly after Prime Minister Sunak and US President Donald Trump reportedly reached an understanding on the matter during a February meeting in Washington. Trump was quoted as saying he believed the agreement would “work out very well.” Some senior Republicans, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, had previously voiced strong reservations due to Mauritius' growing ties with China.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage had also predicted that Trump would block the proposal once briefed. However, no such intervention materialised.

As legal proceedings unfold, the future of the Chagos Islands deal remains uncertain, and the spotlight now shifts to the High Court for the next chapter in a decades-long geopolitical dispute.