The Rwandan government has initiated legal proceedings against the United Kingdom, seeking payments it says are owed under a now-cancelled migrant relocation agreement between the two countries.
Rwanda has filed a case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, arguing that the UK failed to honour financial commitments made under the deal, which was signed by the former Conservative government to relocate some asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Under the agreement, the UK was to make payments to Rwanda in exchange for hosting asylum seekers and supporting Rwanda’s economy. However, after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer scrapped the policy in 2024, the Home Office stated that £220 million in scheduled future payments would no longer be made.
A Home Office spokesperson said the previous Rwanda policy had wasted significant taxpayer resources and stressed that the government would “robustly defend” its position to protect public funds.
While the Rwandan government has not directly responded to media enquiries, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs referenced a report in the New Times, which said the arbitration centres on the performance of specific commitments under the treaty.
The abandoned policy, aimed at deterring migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats, reportedly cost the UK about £700 million. Only four volunteers were relocated to Rwanda before the scheme was terminated following Labour’s victory in the 2024 general election, with Sir Keir describing the plan as “dead and buried”.
The agreement included a termination clause allowing either party to end the deal through written notice. Of the £700 million spent, £290 million was paid directly to Rwanda. The Home Office had previously said an additional £100 million would have been due in the 2025–26 and 2026–27 financial years, along with a further £120 million tied to the transfer of 300 people to Rwanda.
