Chagos Eviction Orders Upheld Against Four Islanders on Coin

The Court of Appeal of the British Indian Ocean Territory confirmed on 12 November 2025 that eviction notices served against Louis Misley Mandarin and three fellow Chagossians are legally valid, overturning an earlier first-instance ruling that had gone in the islanders' favour.

The four individuals have been living on Ile du Coin, one of the islands of the Chagos Archipelago, since February 2025. Their presence was part of a broader effort by some Chagossian activists to assert a right to return to the islands from which their community was forcibly removed by British authorities between 1968 and 1973 to make way for a United States military base on Diego Garcia.

The BIOT, or British Indian Ocean Territory, is the administrative name used by the United Kingdom for the Chagos Archipelago. Mauritius has long claimed sovereignty over the islands, and negotiations between the UK and Mauritius over a transfer of sovereignty have been ongoing, though no final agreement has been signed.

The appeal court's ruling annuls the lower court judgment that had previously cast doubt on the eviction notices and restores the legal basis for expelling the four individuals from the islands. The court's decision means that Misley Mandarin and his companions now face formal removal under those reinstated orders.

The case sits at the intersection of Chagossian rights, British territorial authority, and the still-unresolved sovereignty talks between London and Port Louis. Chagossian groups are divided on the question of whether Chagossians should act unilaterally to return to the islands before a formal political agreement is in place. Oliver Bancoult, the recognised leader of the Chagossian community in Mauritius, has previously urged respect for the court's rulings on eviction matters.

Mauritius's Attorney General has also stated that any formal return of Chagossians to the archipelago must be coordinated through the Mauritian government rather than through individual or unilateral action. That position reinforces the view that the legal and political framework for resettlement has not yet been established.

What this means: The appeal ruling strengthens the hand of BIOT administrators in removing the four activists from Ile du Coin. It does not resolve the underlying sovereignty dispute between Mauritius and the United Kingdom, nor does it determine whether and how Chagossians will eventually be allowed to resettle on the islands. That question remains tied to the outcome of the broader bilateral negotiations, which are still ongoing as of late 2025.

Source: Le Defi Media