The Labour Government is facing growing international and domestic criticism after Chagossian human rights groups filed a formal complaint to the International Criminal Court (ICC), directly accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer and senior ministers of crimes against humanity.
The communication, lodged under Article 15 of the Rome Statute, names Starmer and three other officials as responsible for the continued displacement of the Chagossian people.
It alleges that by negotiating and endorsing the UK–Mauritius treaty on the Chagos Islands, the Labour Government has deliberately locked in the permanent exile of the indigenous population, an act that campaigners say amounts to an “ongoing crime.”
Allegations of “Irreversible Harm”
The complaint cites forcible deportation, persecution, and inhumane treatment, describing the treaty as “a weapon” against the Chagossians. Human rights groups argue that the government knew Mauritius would not allow the exiled community to return, effectively cementing Britain’s historic expulsion policy from the 1960s and 1970s.
Reports from Mauritius suggest that since October many Chagossians have fled with only “the clothes on their backs.” Councils in Hillingdon and Crawley, key entry points for asylees, have struggled to cope, with some arrivals reportedly forced to sleep rough. Critics say ministers were fully aware of these mass departures yet allowed them to proceed as collateral damage of foreign policy.
“The government’s actions represent not only a betrayal of the Chagossians but the continuation of state policy that strips them of their rights,” one organiser said.
At a UN session in Geneva in July, Mauritian representatives went so far as to deny that the Chagossians were an indigenous people, a move opponents say the UK enabled by its silence.
Starmer Accused of Abandoning Human Rights Principles
The case has added personal embarrassment for Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, with campaigners calling his role “a total moral and strategic failure.” Comparisons have been drawn to Britain’s most controversial foreign policy decisions since the Iraq War.
Bertrice Pompe, a Chagossian organiser, said:
“We are pleading with all those who have the power to make a difference to please step in and stop these crimes against humanity. We are the indigenous of the Chagos Islands, we bear their name, and we need our voices to be heard.”
Security Leaders Warn of “Strategic Self-Harm”
In parallel, a cross-party coalition of more than 40 MPs, peers, and former ministers has appealed directly to former U.S. President Donald J. Trump to intervene. They warn that Labour’s plan to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius endangers the U.S. military base at Diego Garcia, a cornerstone of Western power projection in the Indian Ocean.
The signatories, in the letter organised by the Great British PAC, argue that transferring the islands to Mauritius, a state bound by the Pelindaba Treaty, which bans nuclear weapons in Africa, risks undermining U.S. nuclear and naval operations. They say the move creates “dangerous legal ambiguity” that China, Russia, or international bodies could exploit.
The letter, signed by senior Conservatives including Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Suella Braverman, and Grant Shapps, accuses the government of “deliberate strategic self-harm.”
Claire Bullivant, organiser of the letter, said:
“If this deal goes through, it will not only weaken Britain but also gravely undermine America’s ability to defend the free world from adversaries. Diego Garcia is too strategically important to be put at risk. President Trump is our hope in stopping this dangerous surrender.”
Critics Decry Rushed Legislation
Security leaders accuse ministers of rushing the timetable to force the deal through before opposition can gain momentum.
Campaigners say the combination of human rights violations and reckless security policy could leave Labour with one of the gravest foreign policy legacies in decades.
