A timeline of the UK’s history with the Chagos Islands

The United Kingdom has reached a significant agreement to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. In this section, we explore the background and history of this island group.

The Chagos Islands were first inhabited by enslaved Africans brought in to labor on coconut plantations established by the French, where they cultivated copra. Later, once they were freed, indentured Indian workers also came to the islands.

Following Napoleon's resignation and subsequent exile during the Napoleonic Wars, Britain officially acquired the Chagos Islands and the nearby island of Mauritius from France.

The Chagos Islands were designated as the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) during negotiations with Mauritius about gaining independence. At the same time, the UK reached an agreement with the US to establish a military base on Diego Garcia, one of the islands.

Mauritius gains its independence, but the UK keeps authority over the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).

All the residents of the Chagos Islands have been compelled to abandon their homes, with many relocating to the main island of Mauritius or to Seychelles, located thousands of kilometers away. Human Rights Watch has described this forced removal as a "shocking colonial injustice" and a violation of human rights.

The UK government has decided to contribute £4 million to a trust fund for the Chagossians, which has been established according to a law in Mauritius.

The High Court in the UK has ruled that the removal of the Chagossians from their homeland was illegal.

The House of Lords, which was the highest court in the UK at that time, ruled against the Chagossians' right to return home. This decision reversed a number of earlier rulings made by lower British courts that had declared their exile to be illegal.

A diplomatic cable from the US, dated May 2009 and revealed by WikiLeaks, shows that a UK Foreign Office representative informed the US about a plan to create a "marine protected area" (MPA). This move was expected to effectively eliminate the resettlement claims made by former residents of the archipelago.

A United Nations tribunal has determined that the United Kingdom's establishment of a marine protected area (MPA) in the Chagos Islands was unlawful. The tribunal stated that Britain did not engage in proper consultations with Mauritius and wrongfully took away its rights to fish in those waters.

The UK government has unveiled a £40 million support program aimed at helping and compensating Chagossians residing in the UK, yet it continues to deny them the right to return to their homeland.

In a consultative ruling, the International Court of Justice, which is the top judicial body of the United Nations, declared that Britain’s ongoing control of the distant Indian Ocean island group is unlawful. The court directed the UK to return the territory to Mauritius "as quickly as possible."

The UN General Assembly has given strong support to a resolution that criticizes Britain's control over the islands. This resolution includes a six-month timeline for the UK to pull out and for the islands to be reunited with Mauritius, but the UK does not follow through.

The special international maritime court of the United Nations dismisses the UK's assertion of control over the Chagos Islands, while the prime minister of Mauritius calls for an end to what he describes as “illegal occupation.”

A group of Tamil asylum seekers escaping from Sri Lanka in a fishing boat has been rescued and brought to Diego Garcia. They are currently living in conditions they describe as terrible and reminiscent of a prison. There have been numerous reports of attempted suicides and self-injury among them.

The UK has announced that it is ready to start discussions with Mauritius about the future transfer of the Chagos Islands.

The UK has decided to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, putting an end to a long-standing disagreement about Britain's final colony in Africa. However, it will still maintain control over the military installation on Diego Garcia, which is managed together with the United States.