British Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty confirmed to the House of Commons that the ratification of the treaty to hand over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius had been indefinitely shelved due to opposition from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, the BBC reported on April 13. Doughty noted that U.S. opposition was "regrettable" and that "the facts have not changed the need for this treaty."

The Chagos Islands are highly strategic given their position in the middle of the Indian Ocean, and they host joint U.S.-U.K. bases on Diego Garcia island. However, Mauritius has claimed sovereignty over the islands for decades, arguing they were wrongly detached from its territory in the lead-up to independence. In 2025, the United Kingdom signed an agreement with Mauritius whereby it would hand over the Chagos Islands in exchange for an immediate leaseback of Diego Garcia to the United Kingdom and authorization for the joint U.K.-U.S. base to continue operations for the next 99 years, with the possibility of a 40-year extension. Although the Trump administration initially endorsed the deal, Trump publicly criticized the deal several times since the start of 2026