Pope Leo, who is the first American Pope, had an audience with around 2,000 people forced from their homes by Britain in the 1960s and 1970s so the naval and bomber facility could be built.
Displaced islanders battled for years in British courts for the right to go home. On Saturday, the pontiff told the refugees he was “delighted” that the agreement had been reached, adding it represented a “significant victory” in their long battle to “repair a grave injustice”.
“The renewed prospect of your return to your native archipelago is an encouraging sign and a powerful symbol on the international stage – all peoples, even the smallest and weakest, must be respected by the powerful in their identity and rights, in particular the right to live on their land; and no one can force them into exile,” he said in French.
The Pope added that he hoped the Mauritian authorities would commit to ensuring their return.
Blasting the comment, Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, said, “Pope Leo should stick to religion, not controversial sovereignty disputes such as Labour’s deal over the Chagos islands.”
He told The Telegraph: “The Pope should prepare himself for a Reform government that rips up this terrible Chagos deal.”
While shadow Armed Forces minister Mark Francois told the publication: “With great respect to the Holy Father, as I understand it the Vatican are not proposing to cover the £35billion cost to rent back islands and a vital strategic base, which already belong to us in the first place.
“That absurd cost would fall squarely on UK taxpayers, irrespective of their religion.”
