On Saturday, August 23, 2025, Pope Leo XIV delivered a message from the heart of the Vatican that echoed far beyond its marble halls, touching the lives of a people exiled for decades. In an audience with a delegation of about 15 Chagossian refugees, the first American pope affirmed the right of the Chagossians to return home after what he called a “grave injustice.” The meeting, described by many as both intimate and unexpected, came in the wake of a landmark treaty between the United Kingdom and Mauritius that shifts sovereignty of the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius and opens the door, at least in principle, for the long-displaced islanders to finally return.
“No one can force them into exile,” Pope Leo declared, his words resonating with a moral clarity that was immediately picked up by international media outlets including AP and The Telegraph. He continued, in French, “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.” It was a statement that not only recognized the suffering of the Chagossians but also underscored a broader principle of justice for displaced peoples everywhere.
The Chagos Islands, a remote archipelago in the Indian Ocean, have been under British control since 1814. In 1965, three years before Mauritius gained independence, the UK separated the islands from the Mauritian colony. The reason? To create a strategic military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands, for joint US-UK operations. Between the late 1960s and 1970s, around 2,000 Chagossians were forcibly removed from their homes. Many found themselves scattered across Mauritius, the Seychelles, and the UK, fighting for decades in British courts for the right to return. Their struggle, which has spanned generations, has often seemed Sisyphean—until now.
The recent treaty, signed in May 2025, marks a significant turning point. According to AP, the agreement hands sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while ensuring that the US-UK base on Diego Garcia remains operational. The UK will pay Mauritius an average of £101 million annually to lease the base for at least 99 years. A trust fund has also been established to benefit the Chagossians. The deal states that “Mauritius is free to implement a program of resettlement” on the islands other than Diego Garcia, though it does not mandate that resettlement actually takes place. Some Chagossians remain wary, fearing that the practicalities of return may prove even more daunting under Mauritian administration.
During the Vatican audience, Pope Leo XIV praised the peaceful advocacy of Chagossian women, highlighting their role in keeping the hope of return alive. He also expressed his hope that Mauritian authorities would facilitate the return and pledged the support of the local Catholic Church in the reintegration process. “The renewed prospect of your return to your native archipelago is an encouraging sign and a powerful symbol on the international stage,” the Pope said, his words carrying both spiritual and diplomatic weight.
The significance of the Pope’s intervention was not lost on Philippe Sands, the international lawyer who represented Mauritius in the negotiations. “The words spoken by His Holiness offered clear support for the urgent return of Chagossians to the islands from which they were deported and sent the clearest possible signal to the governments of Britain, United States and Mauritius that the Vatican expects the Chagossians to be able to return and remake their lives,” Sands told AP after the audience.
Louis Olivier Bancoult, the head of the Chagossian delegation and a tireless campaigner for his people’s right to return, described the meeting as nothing short of miraculous. Bancoult, who was just four years old when his family was expelled from Peros Banhos, said, “For me, it’s a miracle. After the U.S., the U.K. and now the pope. Who will be next?” He added that preparations—including the building of infrastructure—must now begin to make the return a reality. As a symbol of hope and blessing, Bancoult brought a statue of the Madonna to the Pope for blessing, intending to take it back to the Chagos Islands.
Yet, the road ahead is not without obstacles. Some displaced islanders have voiced concerns that the treaty, while historic, may not guarantee their return. The agreement allows Mauritius to implement resettlement programs on islands other than Diego Garcia but does not require it. According to The Telegraph, there are also fears among critics in the UK about the financial and security implications of the deal. Official figures cited by the newspaper suggest the cost to lease back Diego Garcia could reach £35 billion, far higher than initial estimates. Mark Francois, shadow Armed Forces minister, remarked, “That absurd cost would fall squarely on UK taxpayers, irrespective of their religion.”
Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK, criticized the Pope’s involvement in what he described as a controversial sovereignty dispute, saying, “Pope Leo should stick to religion, not controversial sovereignty disputes such as Labour’s deal over the Chagos islands.” Reform UK has pledged to scrap the treaty if it forms the next government, warning of potential diplomatic fallout with Mauritius.
Security concerns have also been raised, particularly regarding Mauritius’s deepening ties with China and Russia. Some British politicians and commentators have questioned whether the handover could jeopardize the strategic value of the Diego Garcia base, a key asset for Western military operations in the region.
Despite the controversy, the treaty aligns with longstanding international calls for decolonization. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued a non-binding opinion that the UK had unlawfully separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius. The United Nations General Assembly has repeatedly urged Britain to return the territory to Mauritius. Pope Francis, Leo XIV’s predecessor, visited Mauritius in 2019 and met with Chagossians at the Vatican in 2023, publicly urging the UK to comply with UN resolutions on the matter.
The Vatican’s advocacy, first under Pope Francis and now with renewed vigor under Leo XIV, has provided a moral compass for the Chagossian cause. While political, financial, and logistical challenges remain, the Pope’s words have emboldened the community and placed their struggle firmly on the international stage.
As the Chagossians prepare to take their first steps home—carrying with them a statue of the Madonna blessed by the Pope and the hopes of a diaspora scattered for more than half a century—the world watches to see if this promise of justice will finally be fulfilled.