An international tribunal in The Hague has rejected Rwanda's demand for more than £100 million (€115 million) from the United Kingdom, stemming from a controversial migrant deportation agreement that was scrapped last year.
Judges at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled on Monday that London was not liable for two annual payments of £50 million (€57 million) that Kigali claimed were still owed under the 2022 deal. The court rejected one claim by majority and the other unanimously.
“The UK robustly defended its position and the tribunal has now ruled in favour of the UK on all grounds,” a government spokesperson in London said. The official added that the government is “focused on delivering vital reforms to restore order and control to our borders, including removing the incentives drawing illegal migrants to Britain and scaling up removals of those with no right to be here.”
A Deal That Never Delivered
The original agreement, struck by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2022, aimed to deter migrants arriving in Britain via “dangerous or illegal journeys” in small boats or lorries by sending them to Rwanda. However, the scheme faced immediate legal and political hurdles. The UK Supreme Court eventually ruled it unlawful, and when Keir Starmer became prime minister in July 2024, he declared the plan “dead and buried” on his first full day in office, dismissing it as a “gimmick.”
Then interior minister Yvette Cooper called it “the most shocking waste of taxpayers' money I have ever seen.” According to the current UK government, only four people were actually sent to Rwanda under the scheme, all voluntarily.
Despite the lack of results, the UK had already paid approximately £290 million (€335 million) to Rwanda. Kigali argued in its pre-hearing submissions that two further annual payments of £50 million were still outstanding. The PCA, established in 1899 to resolve contractual disputes between states, disagreed.
The ruling comes amid broader tensions between the two countries. Britain recently slashed aid to Rwanda, accusing it of supporting M23 rebels in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The dispute over the migrant deal adds another layer to a deteriorating bilateral relationship.
For the UK, the decision provides a legal vindication of its position, but the financial and political costs of the failed scheme remain substantial. The government is now pursuing alternative border control measures, including increased removals of individuals without legal status.
