Rwanda has taken the UK to court over a cancelled migrant deal, seeking payments it claims are owed under the scrapped agreement.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is handling the case, with Rwanda arguing the UK failed to honor commitments made in the deal.
The deal, signed by the previous Conservative government, aimed to send asylum seekers to Rwanda in exchange for financial support.
The UK had already paid £290 million, with £100 million more scheduled for 2025-26 and 2026-27. However, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer axed the deal in 2024, citing its ineffectiveness.
The UK government maintains it will “robustly defend” its position to protect taxpayers, calling the original policy a “complete disaster” that wasted £700 million. Rwanda, however, insists it’s owed payments and has engaged in diplomatic exchanges before initiating arbitration.
The outcome of this case could have significant implications for future migration deals and international agreements.
