Nigel Farage has been accused of “performing Maga stunts” after claiming the British government blocked his travel to the Chagos Islands on a humanitarian mission. The Reform UK leader flew to the Maldives for a day, despite not having a permit to visit the nearby archipelago, which is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
In a video posted on X, Farage said the UK government pressured the Maldives to stop him from joining a delegation bringing aid to four Chagossians attempting to establish a settlement on one of the islands. However, it is understood the UK government was not given advance notice of his travel plans and was unaware of his presence in the Maldives until his comments.
A Labour source criticised Farage for flying 5,000 miles on a private jet for a brief trip while his candidate in the Gorton and Denton byelection had to rely on an endorsement from Tommy Robinson. Former defence secretary Ben Wallace called the move a “cheap stunt”, noting that entry to the territory requires a permit and that MPs cannot simply turn up at sensitive military sites.
The Chagos Islands have been a point of contention after the UK agreed to transfer control to Mauritius, a deal that US President Donald Trump has urged against. Up to 2,000 Chagossians were forcibly removed in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for a joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said the primary concern was ensuring the safe departure of individuals from an island “not fit for human habitation”, where health emergencies or extreme weather could pose serious threats.
