Removal of Land Mines in Falklands

Date: November 10, 2020 • Location: Falkland Islands, International

The British government announced that it had removed the last land mine from the Falkland Islands, laid by Argentine forces during the 1982 Falklands War.

There were approximately 30,000 land mines laid in the British overseas territory of the Falkland Islands by Argentinian forces following their 1982 invasion. Some of the mines were cleared immediately following the successful British operation to retake the islands, but following a series of accidents, demining operations ceased. In the following years the minefields were fenced off and, with human access limited, became havens for Falklands flora and the native penguin population. The British government ratified the Ottawa Treaty in 1998 that required the removal of all mines within its territory. Demining operations, which had to be carried out by hand due to the climate and local condition, restarted in 2009. The last mines were cleared in November 2020.