Two British Chagossian women who launched a last-minute legal challenge to halt the Chagos Islands sovereignty transfer to Mauritius have condemned the UK government’s decision, calling it a betrayal of their rights and legacy.

Bertrice Pompe, 54, and Bernadette Dugasse, 68, both born on Diego Garcia, the largest of the Chagos Islands, secured an emergency High Court injunction early Thursday morning to prevent the UK from signing the sovereignty transfer agreement. However, by the afternoon, another judge overturned the injunction, and the deal to relinquish Britain’s last African colony was finalized.

The sovereignty deal comes amid mounting international legal pressure on the UK, including court rulings declaring its continued control of the Chagos Islands unlawful. The UK Foreign Office described the agreement as a “legal necessity” and emphasized it had preserved the strategically critical Diego Garcia military base, jointly operated with the US.

Chagossians denied return to Diego Garcia

Despite the agreement, Chagossians were excluded from the right of return to Diego Garcia, an issue that has left many feeling marginalized. For Dugasse, who was forced from her birthplace at two-and-a-half years old and relocated to Seychelles, the disappointment runs deep.

“I’ve been betrayed by the British government,” she said. “I will have to keep on fighting the British government till they accept for me to settle there [on Diego Garcia].”

The presence of the military base on Diego Garcia was the original reason the UK severed the Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1968. In the process, an estimated 2,000 Chagossians were forcibly displaced in what has been widely described as one of the most shameful acts of colonial displacement in Chagos history.

Pompe, who was six months old when her family was expelled, drew parallels between the UK’s historical actions and current treatment of the Chagossian community. “They’re not pronouncing the [same] words, but by their actions they’re doing the same thing. We’re being scammed over and over again.”

Mauritius deal seen as continuing marginalization

Many Chagossians remain wary of the UK-Mauritius sovereignty deal, citing concerns about being excluded from any decisions related to their return or land access. Dugasse noted that many Chagossians living in Mauritius now support the transfer, but she recalled past struggles under Mauritian governance, including being resettled in poor housing conditions.

“Like my grandparents used to say: ‘Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know,’” she said.

Despite the legal setback, Pompe and Dugasse remain determined. They plan to continue their campaign by lobbying members of Parliament and pursuing further legal action. “I’m going to keep working with my lawyers, and we’re going to bring another case,” said Pompe. “It’s not over until the fat lady sings—and that’s me.”

The UK government’s official statement made no mention of Chagossians' right to return, further inflaming tensions and reinforcing long-standing perceptions of neglect.

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