Pope Leo XIV and Sir Keir Starmer (Image: Getty)
The Pope has branded Sir Keir Starmer’s surrender of the Chagos Islands as a “significant victory” that has undone a “grave injustice”. Pope Leo XIV made the remarks with exiled refugees from the contested Indian Ocean archipelago.
In May, the Prime Minister agreed to relinquish control of the British Overseas Territory to Mauritius by the end of 2025 in a controversial deal. Under the terms of the agreement, the UK will lease back the Diego Garcia military base, a facility constructed on the largest of the island in the 1970s, that has been used by British and American forces. It will cost ￡35billion to do so, according to official figures published by The Telegraph.
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Sir Keir Starmer has agreed to give up the Chagos Islands and lease them back from Mauritius (Image: Getty)
Pope Leo, who is the first American Pope, had an audience with around 2,000 people forced from their homes by Britain in the 1960s and 1970s so the naval and bomber facility could be built.
Displaced islanders battled for years in British courts for the right to go home. On Saturday, the pontiff told the refugees he was “delighted” that the agreement had been reached, adding it represented a “significant victory” in their long battle to “repair a grave injustice”.
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“The renewed prospect of your return to your native archipelago is an encouraging sign and a powerful symbol on the international stage – 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; and no one can force them into exile,” he said in French.
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The Pope added that he hoped the Mauritian authorities would commit to ensuring their return.
Reform deputy leader Richard Tice said the Pope 'should stick to religion' (Image: Getty)
Blasting the comment, Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, said, “Pope Leo should stick to religion, not controversial sovereignty disputes such as Labour’s deal over the Chagos islands.”
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He told The Telegraph: “The Pope should prepare himself for a Reform government that rips up this terrible Chagos deal.”
While shadow Armed Forces minister Mark Francois told the publication: "With great respect to the Holy Father, as I understand it the Vatican are not proposing to cover the ￡35billion cost to rent back islands and a vital strategic base, which already belong to us in the first place.
“That absurd cost would fall squarely on UK taxpayers, irrespective of their religion.”
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