U.K. legislation on Chagos deal paused for discussions with U.S.: U.K. Minister

U.K. legislation on the Chagos deal is paused for U.S. discussions amid sovereignty claims from the Maldives, says Minister.

A bill operationalising a U.K.-Mauritius treaty in U.K. law, recognising the sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago, is on pause in the British parliament while the U.K. government discusses concerns with the U.S. government.  The Indian Ocean islands, are home to Deigo Garica, which houses a U.K.-U.S. military base.

The treaty, signed in May 2025, would see Mauritius getting sovereignty over the archipelago while the U.K. would be given a 99-year lease for Diego Garcia and pay Mauritius an average annual amount of GBP 101 million.

“ We will bring that [legislation] back to Parliament at the appropriate time. We are pausing for discussions with our American counterparts,” U.K. Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer said on Wednesday (February 25, 2026) afternoon.

The treaty, which was discussed over 11 rounds of negotiations between Mauritius and the former Conservative U.K. government, has been called into question after U.S. President Donald Trump, who gave his backing to the treaty, changed his mind and publicly called for it to be reconsidered in more recent weeks. As recently as last week, Mr. Trump said Diego Garcia should not be given away and suggested it may be needed in the event of a U.S. strike on Iran.

Nothing in the U.K.-Mauritius deal had changed, Mr. Falconer, since the U.S. administration had approved it.

The British government’s objective was to ensure that the base in Diego Garcia was secure in the long-term, Mr. Falconer told the House of Commons. When the Labour government when it had took office found that the ability of the U.K. to maintain control of the base was under threat and therefore it was compelled to act, as per the minister.