Britain will not have to pay Rwanda millions over asylum deal, court rules
Permanent Court of Arbitration Decision on UK-Rwanda Asylum Agreement
By Stephanie van den Berg
Background of the UK-Rwanda Asylum Deal
THE HAGUE, June 1 (Reuters) - 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 said on Monday.
The Hague-based body said it had rejected all financial claims made by Rwanda, which had argued Britain still needed to honour the terms of the deal which Prime Minister Keir Starmer cancelled in 2024.
Cancellation of the Asylum Plan
Starmer scrapped the prior Conservative government's asylum plan, under which Rwanda would have been paid to take in migrants who had illegally arrived in Britain.
Kigali was asking for at least £60 million ($80 million), the court documents showed.
Court Findings and Ruling Details
Financial Claims and Diplomatic Notes
The three-judge panel found by a majority that in November 2024, Rwanda agreed in diplomatic notes "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 of the ruling which the court said it made on May 15.
Implementation and Legal Challenges
In the end, only four people went voluntarily to Rwanda under the asylum agreement, which ran into legal challenges before its cancellation.
Reactions from Rwanda and the UK
Rwandan Government Response
The Rwandan government said it respected the court's decision but said the issues were complex and open to different legal conclusions.
"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.
British Government Response
The British government said it had "robustly" defended its position.
"The previous government’s policy wasted time and £700 million of taxpayer money to send four volunteers to Rwanda," a spokesperson said.
Broader Context: UK-Rwanda Relations
Strained Relations and Regional Issues
Relations between Britain and Rwanda soured last year when London paused some aid over the Rwandan role in the war in Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda has faced global pressure over accusations that it supports the M23 rebel group in eastern Congo.
Rwanda's Position on the M23 Conflict
Kigali denies backing M23 and has blamed Congolese and Burundian forces for fighting that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands in the past year.
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(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg, additional reporting by Michael Holden and George Obulutsa; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Andrew Heavens)
