Chagossians mark seven months on atoll in fight for right to return
Chagossian protesters remain on Ile de Coin after seven months, demanding the British government allow them to resettle their ancestral islands.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A group of Chagossians has now spent seven months camped on Ile de Coin, one of the outer islands of the Chagos archipelago, in a continuing protest for the right to return to their ancestral homeland. The group, which includes two people born on the island who were forcibly removed decades ago, has established a permanent settlement, fishing for food, collecting rainwater with tarpaulin sheets and building fires for cooking. Their leader, Misley Mandarin, who calls himself the interim first minister of the Chagos Islands, says they are determined to win what he calls a fight for self-determination and the right of abode.
Mandarin, speaking from the island, said the British government is making life very difficult for the group. He contrasted their treatment with that of illegal migrants arriving in the UK, saying British citizens are being left to fend for themselves while others receive meals and accommodation. He also said that his father, one of the older members, is trying to reverse his type 2 diabetes through the natural lifestyle on the island. He confirmed that 40 more people are preparing to join them, with training to be arranged in England in the coming weeks.
The protest has drawn attention to the long-running dispute over the Chagos Islands. The British government removed the entire population in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for a US military base on Diego Garcia. The current Labour government, under Sir Keir Starmer, has agreed to hand sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius, a move that critics argue would prevent the Chagossians from returning. The base at Diego Garcia remains a key part of UK and US defence infrastructure, and the government says security will be protected under the deal.
Supporters of the Chagossians argue that the people have a right to return to islands such as Ile de Coin, which lie some distance from the military base. They say the British government has treated the indigenous people brutally for decades and that the deal with Mauritius is a betrayal. Opponents of the deal note that Mauritius has never historically controlled the Chagos Islands and question the legal basis for the transfer, while others point to the need to secure the base for international security.
After seven months, the group shows no sign of giving up. Their resilience has been described as extraordinary, and they continue to press their claim to a homeland that most have never seen. The British government has not yet publicly responded to the latest statements from the protesters, and the situation remains unresolved.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | GB News |
|---|---|
| A group of Chagossians survived on the island for seven months and established a settlement. | |
| Forty more Chagossians are ready to join the protest on the island. | |
| The interim first minister said Chagossians are British citizens and are not being given the same treatment as illegal migrants. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
GB News focused on the resilience of the Chagossian protesters and framed the story as a moral failure by the British government. The presenter and panel strongly criticised the government's treatment of the group and the deal with Mauritius, presenting the protest as a heroic struggle against injustice. The tone was emotive and partisan, with repeated contrasts between the Chagossians' self-sufficiency and the treatment of illegal migrants in the UK.
- “the fact that we, the British government, have been so brutal to them for decade after decade, and now intend with a new prime minister to continue with that betrayal, is something that makes me very, very angry.”
- “But we are not charity. We are British citizens. But considering how illegal migrants coming on the small board have been treated in England, but us, we have to fend for ourselves.”
- “Mauritius have never had control of the Chagos Islands in history.”
Broadcast Timeline
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