Rwanda Initiates Legal Action Against UK Over Terminated Migrant Agreement

Thu Jan 29 2026 20:15:25 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The Rwandan government is pursuing legal proceedings against the UK, claiming owed payments under a cancelled migrant deal, amidst ongoing tensions over the agreement's future.

Rwanda has taken legal action against the UK at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, asserting that the UK failed to fulfill its financial commitments under a now-scrapped migrant deal. This follows the cancellation of the agreement by the Labour government, leading to disputes over substantial payments. The UK government intends to defend its position, citing the scheme as economically unviable, while Rwanda insists on its rights under the treaty.

The Rwandan government has launched legal action against the UK to seek payments it claims it is owed under a scrapped migrant deal between the two countries.

Rwanda has filed a case with the Netherlands-based Permanent Court of Arbitration, arguing the UK has failed to honour commitments made in a deal to send some asylum seekers to the African nation.

Under the deal, which was signed by the previous Conservative government, the UK agreed to make payments to Rwanda to host asylum seekers and support its economy.

But after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer axed the deal in 2024, the Home Office stated that £220m in scheduled future payments will not have to be paid to Rwanda.

The BBC has asked the Home Office for comment. The Prime Minister's spokesman said the government would robustly defend our position to protect British taxpayers. The Rwanda scheme was a complete disaster, the spokesman told reporters, mentioning it wasted £700m of taxpayer cash for only four volunteers.

The Rwandan government has not responded to the BBC's requests but directed to an article regarding their arbitration proceedings in the New Times, stating that the arbitration concerns the performance of specific commitments under the treaty.

The previous Conservative government spent approximately £700m on the Rwanda policy, intended to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats, with only four volunteers arriving in Rwanda. Soon after Labour's victory in the 2024 general election, Starmer declared the plan dead and buried.

A break clause in the deal allowed either party to terminate the agreement with written notice. The £700m included £290m payments specifically to Rwanda, with the Home Office forecasting an additional £100m in payments to be due under the treaty.

In December 2024, the Home Office indicated a further £120m would be payable upon transferring 300 individuals to Rwanda.

The article from New Times quotes Michael Butera, chief technical adviser to Rwanda's minister of justice, stating: Through arbitration, Rwanda seeks a legal determination of the parties' respective rights and obligations under the treaty, in accordance with international law.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) handles international disputes and can issue binding rulings if resolutions cannot be achieved between the nations involved. Rwanda began these arbitration proceedings in November, and the PCA's status for the case is currently pending.

Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp criticized Labour for scrapping the Rwanda scheme prematurely, suggesting it puts a financial burden on British taxpayers. The UK government has been exploring ways to recuperate funds following the cessation of the asylum plan, while Rwanda maintains it has no obligation to reimburse any payments made.