Streeting Confirms £120m Annual Mauritius Payments on Hold Amid Chagos Deal Review

UK minister Wes Streeting has confirmed that annual payments of £120 million to Mauritius under a proposed Chagos Islands deal remain on hold while the agreement undergoes review.

The deal, which would transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while guaranteeing continued UK and US control of the Diego Garcia military base, has faced renewed scrutiny after Donald Trump criticized it during a meeting with Andy Burnham.

Streeting said the deal "can't go ahead" without US support, underscoring the significance of Washington's position given the strategic importance of the Diego Garcia base, which hosts US military facilities central to operations across the Indian Ocean region.

The Conservative Party has called on the government to fully scrap the proposed deal, arguing that the sovereignty transfer should not proceed given the concerns raised, including those from the Trump administration. Critics of the deal have questioned both its cost, including the £120 million annual payments, and its long-term strategic implications.

The government has not indicated a timeline for concluding its review of the deal, leaving the future of the Chagos Islands agreement, and the associated payments to Mauritius, unresolved for now.