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Date Published: 08/10/2024

UK decision on Chagos Islands sparks fears over future of Gibraltar

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Britain has reassured Gibraltar that its sovereignty is “not up for negotiation”

UK decision on Chagos Islands sparks fears over future of Gibraltar

The British government's recent decision to relinquish control over the uninhabited Chagos Islands has sent ripples of concern through Gibraltar. The move, announced by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, has sparked fears that Spain's long-standing claims on The Rock may be emboldened.

However, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has reassured the people of Gibraltar that the cases are fundamentally different and that the UK's decision will not affect their future.

The Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and other British Overseas Territories are “not up for negotiation,” David Lammy reiterated.

The Chagos Islands are a cluster of remote Indian Ocean islands that have been at the centre of a decades-long dispute between the UK and Mauritius. The UK's decision to give up sovereignty over the islands follows years of diplomatic talks and international pressure.

However, not everyone is pleased with the move. Chagossians who oppose the deal have staged a protest outside Parliament, while critics argue that it could embolden governments like Spain that claim sovereignty over other British Overseas Territories.

But Lammy has been quick to reassure that the cases are “not comparable”.

“The government remains firmly committed to modern partnerships with our overseas territories based on mutual consent,” he said.

While the Foreign Secretary has hailed the deal with Mauritius as a “historic moment” and a “victory for diplomacy”, detractors argue that it will compromise Britain’s strategic defence interests. This doesn’t hold much water though as it’s already been agreed that both the US and the UK will continue to operate a military base on one of the islands, Diego Garcia.

Meanwhile, adding fuel to the fire, the Argentine government has reportedly restated its claim to the Falkland Islands, even as the British governor reassures his people that the “UK's unwavering commitment to defend UK sovereignty remains undiminished” following the Chagos Islands agreement.

In Gibraltar, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has also been clear that the UK's decision on the Chagos Islands will not affect the territory's future.

“The United Kingdom has made clear that it will not enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes,” he said.

In other news: UK to file formal complaint over alleged Spanish military incursion in Gibraltar airspace

Image: Christian-wittmann-1964 via Wikimedia Commons

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