Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with his Mauritian counterpart on the return of Chagossians to the Chagos Archipelago without fear of (a) discrimination or (b) prosecution under the Criminal Code (Amendment) Act 2021 of Mauritius.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Mauritius will be free to resettle the islands, other than Diego Garcia. It will be for Mauritius to set the terms of and manage any future resettlement. Ministers and officials continue to engage with their Mauritian counterparts as part of routine bilateral engagement.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with his Mauritian counterpart on Chagossians returning to the Chagos Archipelago being able to undertake (a) subsistence and (b) commercial fishing activities in the Marine Protected Area.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Mauritius will be free to resettle the islands, other than Diego Garcia. It will be for Mauritius to set the terms of and manage any future resettlement. Ministers and officials continue to engage with their Mauritian counterparts as part of routine bilateral engagement.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Mauritian counterpart on the return of Chagossians without a Mauritian passport but in possession of (a) British, (b) Seychellois or (c) other citizenship.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Mauritius will be free to resettle the islands, other than Diego Garcia. It will be for Mauritius to set the terms of and manage any future resettlement. Ministers and officials continue to engage with their Mauritian counterparts as part of routine bilateral engagement.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement on British Indian Ocean Territory: Negotiations of 7 October 2024, Official Report, column 45, what guidance his Department has provided to Chagossians who are resident outside of Mauritian territory on accessing the trust fund.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
After a treaty with Mauritius is ratified, the UK will capitalise a new trust fund for Mauritius to use in support of Chagossians. Separate to the Trust Fund, we will also increase our support to Chagossians living in the UK and around the world, through new and existing projects. As details of the Trust Fund will be agreed as part of the implementation of the Agreement after signature, no guidance has yet been issued.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has for engagement with the Chagossian community during the transfer of sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Ministers and officials will continue to regularly engage with members of the Chagossian community on a range of issues, including on the implementation of the agreement reached between the United Kingdom and Mauritius. We recognise the importance of the islands to Chagossians and have worked to ensure this agreement reflects their interests.