Pope Leo welcomes return of refugees to Chagos, condemns forced exile
August 27, 2025
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CWN Editor's Note: Pope Leo XIV received a group of refugees from the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean and welcomed their impending return to their native islands, over five decades after their removal by the United Kingdom.
“I am pleased that your cause has been very successful, since the return of the Chagos Archipelago to the Republic of Mauritius was recently obtained through the signing of a treaty,” Pope Leo said on August 23.
The Pope added:
The renewed prospect of your return to your native archipelago is an encouraging sign and has symbolic force on the international scene: all peoples, even the smallest and weakest, must be respected by the powerful in their identity and in their rights, in particular the right to live on their lands; and no one may compel them into forced exile.The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
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