Chagossians: British Nationality

(asked on 18th December 2025) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether British Chagossians will be required to hold Mauritian citizenship to be eligible for resettlement.


Answered by
Stephen Doughty Portrait
Stephen Doughty
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 12th January 2026

The UK Government has been in talks with Mauritius to ensure that resettlement is open to all Chagossians. The Mauritian Government confirmed on 12 December that all Chagossians born on the Archipelago before 31 December 1973 and their children will be eligible for Mauritian citizenship and therefore able to participate in any future programme of resettlement. Chagossians will be able to hold both British and Mauritian citizenship. As of April 2025, 94 per cent of Chagossians with British nationality also had Mauritian Citizenship. All Chagossians will remain eligible for British citizenship under the current Citizenship Pathway.

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