The United Kingdom has emerged victorious in an international arbitration case, with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruling that it does not owe Rwanda millions of pounds for the collapsed asylum agreement. The deal, originally signed by the previous Conservative government, was designed to send asylum seekers arriving illegally in the UK to Rwanda for processing. Upon taking office, Prime Minister Keir Starmer scrapped the plan, calling it "dead and buried."
Rwanda had sought over £100 million in compensation, arguing that the UK breached the terms of the agreement. However, UK lawyers contended that it was "entirely logical" for the new government to abandon the policy and that no further payments were due. They also denied any breach of the deal.
Rwanda's Minister of Justice, Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, told the court that his country had incurred "significant costs" preparing for the partnership and that the UK had not given advance notice of its decision to cancel the agreement. The UK government, in response, stated it had "robustly" defended its position and is now focused on border reforms.
The scheme, first announced in 2022 by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, aimed to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats. It faced numerous legal challenges, including a last-minute grounding of the first flight in 2022 by the European Court of Human Rights. Only four people were voluntarily relocated to Rwanda under a subsequent voluntary removal program.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp welcomed the ruling but criticized Labour for canceling the plan, claiming it led to record crossings. Imran Hussain of the Refugee Council argued that the scheme caused chaos and advocated for a fair and efficient asylum system.