Two women from the Chagos Islands are planning to take the British government to court over a proposed agreement to transfer control of the disputed Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius.

On Monday, lawyers representing two women argued that it was unfair to exclude Chagossians from having a say in the future of their homeland, a tropical archipelago that hosts a key UK-US naval and bomber base. In October, the UK government announced plans to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while maintaining control over Diego Garcia, the largest island that hosts a military base. However, the negotiations are currently on hold as they await approval from US President Donald Trump's administration.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Britain forced hundreds of people to leave the remote islands so the US military could build a base on Diego Garcia. Many of these displaced islanders were moved to the UK and have since faced legal difficulties trying to return to their homeland. Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, both British citizens, are worried that returning to their birthplace may become even more difficult once Mauritius gains control of the islands. “Chagossians were removed from their place of birth, without their consultation, and have been treated badly for 60 years," said Pompe. “Since then we have been struggling to understand why we have been treated so poorly by the British government. I want to stay British and I also want the right to return to the Chagos Islands.” 

The lawyers representing the women have sent a legal notice to the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, which must reply by March 25. While Britain and Mauritius had initially agreed on a sovereignty transfer deal, the final decision now heavily relies on whether the Trump administration gives its approval. Last year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that this agreement could pose a significant risk to US national security. The United States has described its military base on Diego Garcia, where around 2,500 personnel—mostly Americans—are stationed, as a crucial hub for security operations across the Middle East, South Asia, and East Africa. Discussions regarding the base faced obstacles following a change in Mauritius' government and disagreements over the amount the UK should pay for leasing the Diego Garcia airbase. In 1965, Britain separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, which was then a British colony and designated the region as British Indian Ocean Territory. This happened three years before Mauritius gained independence.

In recent years, the United Nations and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) have called on Britain to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. In a non-binding ruling in 2019, the ICJ stated that the UK had acted unlawfully when it separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius during the country's decolonisation in the late 1960s. As part of a proposed agreement, a resettlement fund would be set up to support displaced islanders who wish to return to the islands, excluding Diego Garcia. However, the specifics of this plan are still unclear.