Rwanda has demanded that the United Kingdom pay more than £100 million following the termination of a migrant deportation agreement by the Labour government in 2024. The claim was made during a hearing at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, with Rwanda asserting that the UK owes the funds under the deal originally signed by the Conservative government led by Rishi Sunak.
Details of the Rwanda-UK Migrant Deportation Scheme
The agreement involved sending some asylum seekers who arrived in the UK by boat to Rwanda for processing their asylum claims. Rwanda prepared facilities, ministerial and administrative structures, and an asylum appeals chamber to manage the incoming refugees. By 2024, the UK government had spent approximately £700 million on the policy, which ultimately saw only four volunteers transferred before being scrapped.
Legal Dispute and UK Response
Rwanda’s justice minister and attorney general, Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, stated that the UK did not provide prior notice before the Labour government declared the scheme “dead and buried” on its first day in office. Rwanda argues this constituted a breach of contract, with the UK seeking to avoid its financial obligations. The British government insists the payments were formally waived in a November 2024 agreement and plans to defend against Rwanda’s claim, describing the scheme as a “complete disaster” that failed to deter Channel crossings despite the large expenditure.
Rwanda initiated arbitration proceedings under the asylum partnership agreement in November 2025. The UK government has emphasized its focus on alternative immigration enforcement methods to prevent illegal migration, rejecting the deportation deal’s approach as ineffective and costly.
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