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Foreign Office quietly rejects International Court ruling to hand back Chagos Islands

Cross-party group of MPs write to Prime Minister demanding return of islands

The Foreign Office quietly rejected an International Court of Justice ruling to end the UK’s “occupation” of the Chagos Islands and to hand the archipelago over to Mauritius.

The move has prompted a cross-party group of MPs to write to the Prime Minister to demand the Government end Britain’s “illegal” administration of the islands, warning it “undermines” the country’s credibility on the world stage.

The decision to reject the UN court’s ruling on the Chagos Islands comes as a fierce debate is raging over the UK’s colonial past.

It also comes just days after Boris Johnson announced he is scrapping the Department for International Development.

UK credibility ‘jeopardised’

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael criticised the Government’s move, adding: “The ICJ has very clearly instructed the UK to return the island chain to Mauritian control. The government’s refusal to do so is arrogant and jeopardises our credibility on a world stage.

“The government must abide by the ICJ’s ruling and ensure the £40m package of support promised to the Chagossian community is paid out in full.”

Around 30 Lib Dem, Labour and SNP MPs have now signed a letter calling on Mr Johnson to act upon the ICJ’s ruling, which judged the British Government detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1965.

The letter states: “The United Kingdom has a proud record of upholding human rights and the international rule of law. We are concerned that the government’s refusal to return sovereignty of the Chagos Islands risks undermining our country’s credibility in these matters on the world stage.

“If we are to realise the ambition of ‘Global Britain’ then we must live up to our international obligations.”

The plight of the Chagossian people is widely recognised as a major low point in recent British history, after they were forcibly exiled from their island home by the government in the 1960s and 70s.

The Chagos Islands (Photo: Google)

They have been refused from returning to their home, with the land on the largest island Diego Garcia, now used as a US military base.

This week, the Mauritian PM Pravind Jugnauth linked the UK’s continued control over the Chagos Islands with the Black Lives Matter movement, which he said “remind us of our deep concerns as to historic wrongs in relation to race and slavery”.

“The continued occupation of the Chagos Archipelago inscribes itself in these historic wrongs,” he warned.

Uphold UK reputation

The letter adds that by returning the Chagos Islands the UK has an opportunity to “uphold our country’s reputation as a world leader in human rights, and to send a powerful message about our support for the rule of law globally”.

It comes as Mr Johnson announced he was merging DfID into the Foreign Office – a move that was heavily criticised by three former prime ministers.

Former Tory PM David Cameron branded the move a “mistake” and would result in “less respect for the UK overseas”.

In its statement rejecting the ruling, the Foreign Office said: “The United Kingdom has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, which has been under continuous British sovereignty since 1814. However, we have a long-standing commitment, first made in 1965, to cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius when it is no longer required for defence purposes. We stand by that commitment.”

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