That Gibraltar The government has assured its people that Britain’s decision to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius will have no impact on the future of the region.
Fear arose in Gibraltar after the British government announced its decision to relinquish control of the uninhabited Chagos Islands.
Concerns arise because belongs to Spain long-standing claims over Gibraltar, but Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said the cases were fundamentally different.
He reassured people about Gibraltar that’s it sir Keir StarmerThe decision will not affect their future, he added Gibraltar is an inhabited territory, and the rights of its people “cannot be ignored.”
Picardo said Olive Press: “Gibraltar is an inhabited territory, its inhabitants have rights which cannot be waived under any circumstances and which completely trump any other claim to our land and the surrounding seas.”
He also pointed out that the case of the Chagos Islands was very different because the islands were uninhabited when Britain took control and later established a US military base on Diego Garcia.
Picardo also mentioned English unchanged attitude towards Gibraltar, emphasizing that the 2002 referendum demonstrated the will of its citizens.
A vote 22 years ago rejected a proposal for joint sovereignty with Spain.
He added that the UK has consistently said it will not enter into any negotiations regarding Gibraltar’s sovereignty without the consent of its people.
The Chief Minister said: “The UK has made it clear that it will not enter into an agreement providing that the people of Gibraltar will be under the sovereignty of another country against their freely and democratically expressed wishes.”
Picardo also mentioned owned by David Lammy commitment to Gibraltar, claiming the British Foreign Secretary had promised that any future discussions regarding Gibraltar would always involve the Chief Minister.
This strong assurance from the British government stands in stark contrast to the case of the Chagos Islands, where negotiations took place without the consent of the Chagossians, who were forced out in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for a US military base.
“Chagossians are suffering greatly. “This agreement could ultimately allow them to return to the islands,” said Picardo.