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Pope meets with Chagos refugees and delivers message about rights of the weak against the powerful

On August 23, 2025, Pope Leo XIV met with exiled Chagos refugees and affirmed their rights against powerful ambitions.
This follows decades of displacement after Britain evicted around 2,000 Chagossians in the 1960s and 1970s to build a US military base on Diego Garcia.
Earlier this year, the UK and Mauritius reached an agreement transferring sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while guaranteeing the continuation of the military base’s lease for a minimum of 99 years and creating a trust fund to support the Chagossian community.
Leo praised the peaceful role of Chagossian women and said, in French, the renewed prospect of return is “a powerful symbol on the international stage” and all peoples must be respected in their rights to live on their land.
The treaty marks a significant victory in the Chagossians’ long battle to repair a grave injustice, though some fear resettlement could become harder after Mauritius takes control.

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Pope Meets With Chagos Refugees, Hails Treaty as ‘Significant Victory’

Pope Leo XIV strongly affirmed the rights of the weakest against the ambitions of the powerful during an audience Saturday with exiled refugees from Chagos, the contested Indian Ocean archipelago that is home to the strategic U.S.-U.K. military base, Diego Garcia.

11 hours ago·Washington, United States

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Pope Leo hails Chagos Islands surrender as 'significant victory' after meeting refugees at Vatican

Pope Leo XIV has thrown his support behind Labour's decision to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, describing the agreement as a "significant victory" that addresses a "grave injustice"

11 hours ago·London, United Kingdom

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