Starmer’s Chagos Islands deal hits new crisis after judge blocks removal of islanders
Fresh doubts over Starmer’s Chagos Islands deal after new judge decision
- A judge issued a temporary injunction from 25,000ft to prevent the UK government from removing Chagossians who had landed on their ancestral islands earlier this week.
- This dramatic judicial intervention further complicates Sir Keir Starmer's plans to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
- The decision follows four Chagossians, led by Misley Mandarin, landing on Île du Coin to establish a permanent settlement, declaring their 'return home'.
- The US president has also expressed opposition to the deal, potentially vetoing the UK's plans, reportedly due to concerns about other nations' interest in the archipelago and a dispute over RAF bases.
- The judge ruled in favour of the islanders, citing the balance of convenience and their lack of threat to national security, while the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office maintains that entering the islands without a permit is illegal and unsafe.
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