Politics Chagos Islands nigel farage

Nigel Farage was wanging on about being blocked from landing on the Chagos Islands by boat without the required travel permit, and irony entered the chat – 19 blunt fact-checks

Oonagh Keating. Updated February 23rd, 2026

Nigel Farage continued his Anywhere But Clacton tour, at the weekend, with a visit to the Maldives for a pubicity stunt designed to keep the heat on the UK Government regarding its decision to hand back the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The move, designed to protect the US-UK military base on one island, Diego Garcia, has been by turns both praised and criticised by Donald Trump, largely depending on the last person he’s spoken to at any given time. All part and parcel of being a stable genius, probably.

After a small group of British Chagossians landed on the currently uninhabitable Île du Coin to protest at the deal preventing former residents’ families from returning to live on the archipelago, an aid boat headed to the area, with permission for trained personnel to help the protestors.

Nigel Farage planned to tag along for the publicity, but was unable to make the trip after authorities made it clear that only those with a useful role and prior permission could land on Île du Coin.

Here’s how he tried to spin that.

A Community Note made it clear that Farage hadn’t been personally targeted – simply prevented from trying to illegally enter the territory by boat.

Eric Morecambe pulling a face that suggests he thinks somethng is a bit awkward

The British Indian Ocean Territory is not a tourist destination. There are no commercial flights, access is restricted and you need a permit before you travel. The video from Nigel Farage gives the impression that he was individually refused access.

Former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace wasn’t impressed by Farage’s stunt.

John O’Connell put it in a nutshell.

Twitter had a lot of thoughts on the absentee MP for Clacton’s failure to do his actual job – again – and where the funds for his small boat shenanigans had come from.

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