Chagos: British Court of Appeal reserves its decision on the expulsion of Chagossians

The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Court of Appeal, sitting in London, has reserved judgment on the eviction notice issued against four Chagossians who have been living on Coin Island in the Peros Banhos atoll since February 2026. After three days of hearings, no date has been set for the judgment.

The four British nationals, descendants of Chagossians expelled from the archipelago in the late 1960s and early 1970s, are claiming the right to return to their ancestral lands. The court must rule on their right to self-determination, and the expulsion order could be upheld if Mauritius's position is deemed to be the overriding one.

The matter remains pending negotiations.

This procedure comes amid uncertainty surrounding the return of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Discussions between London and Port Louis had resulted in an agreement in principle in 2025, notably providing for the continued operation of the Anglo-American military base on Diego Garcia under a specific regime.

Since then, several factors have altered the situation, including the change in the UK's political majority, the resignation of former Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who supported the agreement, and reservations expressed by some members of the British political class and the public. Pending the Court of Appeal's decision, the future of the four Chagossians and the process of returning the archipelago to the EU remain uncertain.