Sir Keir Starmer has been reported to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and accused of crimes against humanity by campaigners for the Chagossian community. The PM stands accused of preparing to allow the “deportation or forcible transfer of population” of the Chagos Islands after Britain hands over the archipelago to Mauritius.
Their referral to the ICC brands the displacement of their people from the islands in the 1960s and 70s “one of the longest-standing and most egregious cases of displacement in modern history”. It adds that Sir Keir and David Lammy, the former foreign secretary, have “knowingly perpetuated crimes against humanity” by failing to allow them to return home. “By signing and promoting the May 22, 2025 agreement, the Prime Minister has knowingly entrenched deportation, persecution and other inhumane acts,” it says.
Sir Keir has been slammed for the surrender of the islands, which he claims was forced on him by international lawyers.
The fury at the handover was compounded by the Prime Minister’s agreement to pay Mauritius up to £47billion over the coming century to lease the Diego Marcia military base back from the new owners.
Locals have also been outraged at a lack of consultation by the British Government. Campaigners managed to briefly disrupt the signing of the deal, being granted a short interim injunction hours before it was handed over.
Campaign lead Bertrice Pompe 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.”
On Monday, Sir Keir received another blow as a Labour MP came out against the treaty.
Peter Lamb, the MP for Crawley, which has a high number of Chagossians, said he could not vote for the Bill “on the basis of the Chagossians’ right to self-determination”.
He told MPs: “The islands belong to the Chagossians, and it is for that people and that people alone to decide the future of their homeland. We have not given the chance to decide that future.
“Until every Chagossian has had the chance to have their say, I cannot support this deal.”
Dame Priti Patel, the Conservative Shadow Foreign Secretary, said Britain’s “enemies are queuing up” to get close to Mauritius as a result of the handover.
Dame Priti said it makes the UK “weaker” and that “everything about this surrender deal is wrong”.
“With our sovereignty over this base being surrendered, it comes as no surprise, I think, to all members of this House, our enemies are now queuing up to, guess what? Make friends with Mauritius.
“Just days before the surrender treaty was signed, Russia agreed with Mauritius a new partnership agreement, which includes marine research. That means, so called marine research conducted by Russia could take place just a handful of miles away from our base.
“And as well as that partnership with Russia, Mauritius has been courted extensively by Iran and China, for further partnerships in a range of other areas.”