An international tribunal has rejected Rwanda’s claim seeking more than £100 million from the United Kingdom over costs linked to the now-abandoned migrant deportation agreement.
The ruling was delivered by judges at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which found that the UK is not liable for the disputed payments tied to the controversial scheme.
The agreement, originally signed in 2022 under then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, was intended to relocate asylum seekers arriving in the UK through irregular routes to Rwanda for processing. However, the plan faced sustained legal and political challenges and was ultimately ruled unlawful by the UK Supreme Court.
After coming into office in 2024, Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared the policy “dead and buried,” ending the programme. Reports indicate that while the UK had already paid substantial sums to Rwanda, the remaining compensation claims were dismissed by the tribunal.
The decision adds another layer to ongoing diplomatic tensions between London and Kigali, which have also been strained by broader geopolitical disputes in the region.
