Court Rejects Rwanda’s £100m Claim Against UK Over Scrapped Migrant Deal

An international court has rejected Rwanda’s claim that Britain still owed more than £100 million ($135 million) under the now-abandoned migrant deportation agreement between the two countries.

Judges at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague ruled that the United Kingdom was not liable for two years of outstanding payments linked to the scheme, which was formally scrapped in 2024.

The controversial agreement was signed in 2022 by the government of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Rwanda, with the aim of relocating asylum seekers who arrived in Britain through what authorities described as “dangerous or illegal journeys,” including small boat crossings and other irregular routes.

However, the policy faced sustained legal and political opposition from the outset, culminating in a ruling by the UK Supreme Court that declared key aspects of the arrangement unlawful.

Following his election in July 2024, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer formally scrapped the programme on his first full day in office, describing it as “dead and buried” and calling it a “gimmick.”

Britain’s Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, also criticised the scheme, describing it as “the most shocking waste of taxpayers’ money I have ever seen.”

According to the current UK government, only four migrants were relocated to Rwanda during the two-year lifespan of the programme, and all did so voluntarily.

Although Britain had already paid Rwanda about £290 million under the agreement, Kigali argued before the arbitration panel that two annual payments of £50 million each were still outstanding.

However, the PCA rejected the first £50 million claim by majority decision and unanimously dismissed the second, effectively ending Rwanda’s bid to recover the additional funds.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration, established in 1899, serves as an international body for resolving disputes between states and other parties.

The ruling comes amid strained diplomatic relations between the two countries, with Britain recently reducing aid to Rwanda over allegations relating to the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda has denied supporting the M23 rebel group, but tensions between both countries continue.