The UK government has been forced to shelve legislation that would have handed the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius, after the US dropped its support for the plan.
Officials in London acknowledged on Friday that time has run out to pass the necessary law during the current parliamentary session, which is due to end in the coming weeks. That means the bill will not move forward as planned.
The decision marks a setback for the long-running effort to resolve the future of the Indian Ocean territory through a formal transfer to Mauritius. The proposal had depended on the legislation being completed before Parliament rises, but the timetable has now slipped beyond reach.
The development follows the loss of US backing for the agreement, which appears to have left the UK without the political room needed to push the measure through in time. Government officials accepted that the window to act had closed.
The Chagos Islands have remained the subject of international dispute for years, with Mauritius seeking sovereignty over the archipelago. The shelved legislation would have been the step needed to implement the transfer under the terms of the arrangement now placed on hold.
With the current session nearing its end, the UK government has effectively paused the plan, leaving the future of the proposal uncertain.
