UN filing accuses UK of forced displacement as Diego Garcia tensions and security fears grow

close Video Growing concern over Iran missile capabilities after failed strike targeting Diego Garcia ‘The Big Weekend Show’ co-hosts discuss Iran’s failed strike targeting Diego Garcia and what it signals about its expanding long-range missile capabilities. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Hören Sie sich diesen Artikel an 3 Min U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faces a "crimes against humanity" complaint at the United Nations over the treatment of the Chagossian people as tensions rise after an Iranian missile attempt targeting Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Starmer, who is named in the filling, has been reported specifically over the removal of four people who returned to the island in a complaint filed by the attorney general for the Chagossian government. James Tumbridge's filing also comes as the exiled leadership stressed the importance of strong ties with the United States, telling Fox News Digital that Washington is a "brother in arms for global security." TRUMP, STARMER AGREE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MUST REOPEN AS MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT ESCALATES A U.S. B-2 Spirit bomber, part of the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, stops for refueling at the U.S. military base on Diego Garcia in October 2001 after an airstrike mission over Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (Senior Airman Rebeca M. Luquin/U.S. Department of Defense) On March 20, Iran launched two ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia from more than 2,300 miles away, missing the target but underscoring the base’s strategic importance. Chagossian leaders have since backed a continued U.S. presence, with First Minister Misley Mandarin saying they want to "uphold the 1966 agreement and consider the U.S. as a brother in arms for global security." The 1966 agreement allowed the U.S. to use Diego Garcia for defense purposes, initially for 50 years. "The desire of the Chagossian government is to have a positive relationship with the U.S. and an ongoing presence on Diego Garcia of the U.S. military," Tumbridge also told Fox News Digital. TRUMP PROVEN RIGHT ON Iran'S LONG-RANGE MISSILE CAPABILITY AS REGIME TARGETS US-UK BASE, EXPERTS SAY Diego Garcia is the largest island in the Chagos archipelago and the site of a major United States military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean leased from the U.K. in 1966. (Reuters) Meanwhile, Tumbridge’s U.N. submission claims U.K. actions risk the "forced depopulation" of the Chagos Islands. Expulsions began in 1968, when about 2,000 residents were removed, culminating in 1973, and in February the U.K. issued new removal orders to four Chagossians who had returned to the islands. The filing calls the situation "forced displacement" that could constitute "a crime against humanity by forced depopulation of a territory." It warns the British government of a "fresh crime now" that could complete a decades-long erasure of the Indigenous population, stating, "The removal of these four persons would result in the total physical erasure of the Chagossian people," potentially "amounting to ethnic cleansing." FARAGE SLAMS BRITISH PRIME MINISTER FOR ‘EXTRAORDINARY’ LACK OF SUPPORT FOR TRUMP'S Iran STRIKES President Trump warned he will use force if a lease deal with Mauritius over Diego Garcia "falls apart" or anyone threatens U.S. operations. (Getty Images) "The BIOT commissioner accepted that the Chagossians were wronged in the past," Tumbridge said Wednesday. "How can the U.K. prime minister, who claims to value the rule of law and human rights, not want to right that wrong and let the people return to their islands?" The filing also comes as the U.K. considers transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. This followed a 2019 International Court of Justice opinion, while preserving the Diego Garcia base under a 99-year lease. President Donald Trump criticized the proposed handover, and the U.K. has since paused legislation to formalize the deal, with ministers saying it has become "impossible to agree at a political level." The legislation was expected to be included in the King’s speech outlining the next parliamentary session’s agenda. Fox News Digital has reached out to 10 Downing Street for comment. Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture. Fox News' Antisemitism Exposed" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world." By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!