Chagossian campaigner accuses Keir Starmer of being 'heartless' following sovereign victory: 'The deal must be quashed!'

Georgia Pearce
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:37:02 +0000

A prominent Chagossian campaigner has launched a scathing attack on Sir Keir Starmer after securing sovereign victory on the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Speaking to GB News, Misley Mandarin hit out at the Labour Government's decision to appeal the Supreme Court's decision to allow Chagossians to "abode" on their ancestral territory.

Following the judicial review heard on March 13, 2026, the court has granted the claim and ruled that the long-standing removal of the Chagossians' right of abode is "unlawful", ordering that it be "quashed".

The case challenged both the Labour Government's refusal to grant permits and its decision to issue removal notices to Chagossians currently on the islands, without fair process or proper consideration of their circumstances.

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With the right of abode restored, the Labour Government's ability to remove Chagossians from the islands is now dramatically constrained.

Speaking to GB News from his settlement on the Chagos Islands, Mr Mandarin declared that although the ruling is "fundamental for justice" for the community, he is "not happy yet".

He told host Martin Daubney: "I'm not the happiest man in the world yet, Martin. The war needs to be won in the Parliament.

"But today, the victory is fundamental for justice for Chagossians, because it quashed this Order in Council from 2004, where the Chagossians can't abode in their homeland, in their ancestral home - so we are happy but not happy."

Launching criticism at Sir Keir, Mr Mandarin questioned whether the Prime Minister "has a heart", following the Government's plans to appeal the ruling.

Mr Mandarin argued: "To be honest, Keir Starmer, I don't know if that man has a heart. But I thank the judge, who saw sense when he did the judgement for us, so he really helped us.

"But Starmer for me personally, if he didn't want to do remove me, why the Government appeal? They're still doing an appeal.

"He still wants to get rid of me, to remove me from the island."

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Mr Mandarin shared a health update for his father with GB News, telling Martin that since he has resettled on the island, he has become "very healthy and very happy".

He said: "He's eating well, he's exercising and he's happy, and he's on his homeland, that's where he wants to die.

"And not only my father, but so many native Chagossians who were born on those islands, on Chagos Island, are stuck in the UK, where it's freezing.

"I want them to have the same chance as my dad to come here and feel the same way, like my dad is feeling right now."

Discussing the ruling, barrister James Tumbridge told GB News that the ruling is a "huge piece of news" for the Chagossians.

He said: "This morning, the Supreme Court of the British Indian Ocean Territory quashed it. That law is now dead.

The Government are appealing it, unsurprisingly, but that is a huge piece of news for our clients.

"The fight has to go on, because the Government's appealing and the Government still wants to get rid of my clients who are on an island, but fundamentally, this judge has recognised things have changed."