Government of the Chagos Islands

The Government of the Chagos Islands is an organisation which claims to represent the Chagossian people as a self-governing British Overseas Territory. It is not recognised as a government by the United Kingdom, any other member state of the United Nations or by the Chagos Refugee Group which also claims to represent the Chagossian people.

The self-declared Government, led by Misley Mandarin, was established in December 2025, with the support of the Great British Political Action Committee, as opposition to the announcement of an agreement between the United Kingdom and Mauritius, which would see the territory officially transferred to Mauritius while the island of Diego Garcia would leased to the United Kingdom for continued operation of a joint UK-US military base. Mauritius will also allow settlement on the islands as per Article 6 of the Agreement.

In February 2026, after four people landed on Île du Coin, the Court of the British Indian Ocean Territory ordered that removal orders be quashed and that authorities re‑examine permit applications in accordance with fair procedure.