That has left a significant hole in Mauritius’ budget, and Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam has told a local website he’s in talks with law firms to explore a fightback.
“We are exploring legal avenues in the Chagos case,” he told Mauritian news organization Defi Media, arguing they’ll have to fill a 10 billion Mauritian Rupee hole (£160 million) in the nation’s coffers.
“We are exploring all possible avenues, but clearly the 2026-27 budget will not be an easy one,” he added.
The British government devised the deal in order to secure the joint U.S.-U.K. base because it feared losing the old colonial outpost in legal disputes with Mauritius.
The Foreign Office has long feared that if Trump dropped his support for the handover, Britain would face even greater challenges in the courts.
One U.K. government official, granted anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations, said it would create “a world of legal pain.” Ramgoolam’s comments make that prospect more likely.
Starmer granted the U.S. permission to strike Iranian missile stores from Diego Garcia after initial hesitation. The delay led Trump to criticize his ally repeatedly.
No. 10 Downing Street and the High Commission of Mauritius in London did not immediately respond to requests for comment.