The U.K. deal concerning the Chagos Island grouping is the result of a long negotiation surrounding the archipelago, located in the central Indian Ocean, around 1,600 km from the tip of the Indian subcontinent. The largest of the lot, Diego Garcia, plays host to the joint U.S.-U.K. military base, which reportedly has an airfield, a deep-water port, and communications- and surveillance-related infrastructure. Mauritius gained independence in 1968; the U.K. reportedly paid it a £3 million grant to maintain control over the Chagos Islands. An ICJ advisory ruling in 2019 found that the decolonisation process pertaining to Mauritius was illegal and recommended that the U.K. stop its administration of the Chagos Islands. The deal includes a £40 million trust fund to support Chagossians, who will be permitted to resettle in all islands except Diego Garcia.

Source: The Hindu February 22, 2026 06:35 UTC