Falkland Islands fears as locals ‘shocked and concerned’ at Starmer’s Chagos giveaway | World | News

Falkland Islanders have voiced their deep unease over Sir Keir Starmer‘s decision to cede control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, warning it sets a troubling precedent for Britain’s Overseas Territories.

The UK’s decision has already been widely criticised by MPs, campaigners, and former officials who argue it represents a betrayal of the Chagossians.

The agreement includes a financial commitment of £90 million annually over a 99-year period, amounting to a total of £8.91 billion.

Meanwhile, for Falkland Islanders, the move has heightened anxieties about their own future, with many questioning whether their right to self-determination could one day face a similar challenge.

During a reception at the Malvina Hotel in Stanley on Tuesday, hosted by Baroness Arlene Foster, former First Minister of Norrhern Ireland, and a delegation from the Friends of the British Overseas Territories (FOTBOT), Islanders made their concerns clear about the UK’s handling of what is officially a British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).

While Government officials have sought to avoid drawing direct comparisons between the Chagos Islands and the Falklands, many Islanders said they viewed the decision as a worrying sign of the UK’s intentions.

Baroness Foster, a parliamentary adviser to FOTBOT, said: “I have brought the message of Chagossians to the Falkland Islands to raise awareness of the UK’s capitulation.

“Their key message – the demand for the right to self-determination, the right to return, and the right to dignity – is as important to Chagossians as it is to Falkland Islanders.”

FOTBOT’s chief executive, Philip Smith, stressed the importance of the visit, explaining: “This is an extremely important trip for FOTBOT.

“I have enjoyed meeting with local politicians, Government officials, conservationists, and a vast number of local people to hear about challenges and opportunities on the islands.”

Chagossians were forcibly removed from their homeland in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for a US military base on Diego Garcia.

Many Chagossians have campaigned for decades to return, insisting their right to self-determination has been ignored, and are angered by the plan to hand the archipelago over to Mauritius.

Falkland Islanders, who in 2013 voted overwhelmingly to remain a British territory in a referendum, see disturbing parallels in the UK’s apparent willingness to abandon its commitments to its overseas territories.

Although the UK Government insists the Falklands’ status remains unchanged, Islanders at the event said they feared the Chagos decision could signal a broader shift in policy.

The delegation from FOTBOT, which is in the Falklands for over a week, aims to explore a range of issues affecting the Islands, including conservation, history, and governance.

Meetings with government officials and civilians are part of the trip, providing insight into the challenges facing the territory.

In October last year, following the announcement of the British deal over Chagos, Falklands Governor Alison Blake sought to reassure fellow Islanders, saying the legal and historical context of the two territories are “very different”.

In the message to residents, she said: “I would like to reassure you that the legal and historical contexts of the Chagos Archipelago and the Falkland Islands are very different.

“UK ministers have been very clear throughout the process that the UK will not agree to anything that runs the risk of jeopardising sovereignty in other Overseas Territories. The UK government remains committed to defending the Falkland Islanders’ right of self-determination, and the UK’s unwavering commitment to defend UK sovereignty remains undiminished.”

Also in October, during PMQs, Sir Keir Starmer pledged that both Gibraltar and the Falklands would remain British.