THE HAGUE – Britain will not have to pay Rwanda tens of millions of pounds over the cancelled deal to deport asylum seekers to the East African nation, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled on Monday.
The Hague-based body said it had rejected all financial claims made by Rwanda, which argued that Britain was still obliged to honour the terms of the agreement that Prime Minister Keir Starmer cancelled in 2024.
Starmer scrapped the previous Conservative government’s asylum plan, under which Rwanda was to be paid to accept migrants who had arrived illegally in Britain.
According to court documents, Kigali had sought at least £60 million ($80 million) in compensation.
The three-judge panel found, by a majority decision, that Rwanda had agreed in diplomatic notes exchanged in November 2024 “to forgo any additional payments by the United Kingdom in April 2025 and April 2026,” the court said.
The details were released on Monday in excerpts from the ruling, which the court said was issued on May 15.
In the end, only four people voluntarily travelled to Rwanda under the asylum agreement, which faced numerous legal challenges before being cancelled.
Rwanda Respects Court Decision
The Rwandan government said it respected the court’s decision but maintained that the issues involved were complex and open to different legal interpretations.
“Rwanda will continue to work constructively with international partners, guided by international norms and mutually beneficial cooperation,” Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said in a statement.
The British government said it had “robustly” defended its position.
“The previous government’s policy wasted time and £700 million of taxpayers’ money to send four volunteers to Rwanda,” a government spokesperson said.
Strained Relations
Relations between Britain and Rwanda deteriorated last year when London suspended some aid over Rwanda’s alleged role in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda has faced international pressure over accusations that it supports the M23 rebel group in eastern Congo.
Kigali denies backing M23 and has instead blamed Congolese and Burundian forces for the fighting, which has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands of people over the past year.
Source: Reuters
