A new survey of the global Chagossian community has revealed overwhelming support for the Chagos Islands to remain under British sovereignty, in what experts are calling the largest and most comprehensive consultation of Chagossian opinion ever undertaken.
The poll, which now gathered 3,389 responses worldwide, has been endorsed by Andrew Hawkins, founder of Whitestone Insight and one of the United Kingdom’s most senior polling analysts.
Mr Hawkins said the methodology was sufficiently robust for the results to be “taken seriously” and described the scale of participation as “exceptional.”
The findings come ahead of a key committee stage in the House of Lords this afternoon (Tuesday 18 November), where peers will scrutinise legislation and offer amendments linked to the potential transfer of sovereignty to Mauritius.
Survey Covers More Than One Third of All Chagossians
The survey, titled Voice your Indigenous rights on the future of your Homeland, The Chagos Archipelago, received responses from more than one third of the entire global Chagossian population, estimated at between 8,000 and 10,000 people.
Data extracted from the poll shows:
• 2,712 respondents provided residency information
• 2,987 answered questions on identity and heritage
• Over 3,000 responded to political questions concerning sovereignty and future governance
According to Mr Hawkins’s assessment, the sample represents approximately 34 per cent of the global Chagossian diaspora and around two thirds of those living in the United Kingdom, where most of the community is based.
“This survey achieved very significant coverage of the Chagossian diaspora, especially within the United Kingdom, and provides an unusually comprehensive view of attitudes within the community,” he said.
While representativeness cannot be calculated precisely, the combination of a large sample size and exceptionally strong results lend authority to the findings as an accurate reflection of Chagossian diaspora sentiment.”
More Than 99% Back Remaining British
The poll’s central finding shows near unanimous support for the Chagos Islands to remain British.
When asked what outcome they wanted for the archipelago, 99.16% backed self-determination and continuation of British sovereignty, while fewer than one per cent supported a transfer to Mauritius.
Other results show similarly strong levels of consensus:
• 99.73% supported the Great British PAC / Mandarin family’s Judicial Review of the Chagos treaty (still waiting for a judgement)
• 99.33% consented to representation by BIOT Citizens UK and its leader Misley Mandarin on sovereignty matters
Mr Hawkins said the consistency and scale of these margins “lend authority to the conclusion that the results reflect real and widespread sentiment across the diaspora.”
He also noted the unusually high rate of verifiable entries, including names and contact details, which is rare for voluntary online surveys.
Please note: since Andrew Hawkin’s assessment, over 3,500 Chagossians have since been polled finding that 3,550 (99.22%) have polled in favour of British sovereignty and 25 (0.78%) against.
This insight has been a collaboration between The Friends of the British Overseas Territories and the Great British PAC.
THE POLL SHOWS:
A shocking over play by a government elected by do few