The Rwandan government has launched legal action against the United Kingdom, seeking payments it says are owed under a cancelled migrant relocation deal.
Rwanda filed a case with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, arguing that the UK failed to honour commitments made under an agreement to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda. The deal, signed by the previous Conservative government, included financial support to Rwanda for hosting asylum seekers and supporting its economy.
After Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer ended the scheme in 2024, the UK Home Office said £220 million in scheduled payments would no longer be made. A spokesperson described the previous policy as having “wasted vast sums of taxpayer time and money” and said the government would defend its position.
Rwanda has not issued a formal comment, but the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs directed inquiries to a local news article detailing the arbitration proceedings. Rwanda’s legal adviser told the publication that the arbitration aims to clarify the rights and obligations of both parties under international law.
Under the agreement, the UK had spent roughly £700 million on the policy, designed to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel. Only four asylum seekers were transferred to Rwanda before the plan was cancelled, and the treaty included a termination clause allowing either country to end the arrangement with written notice.
The arbitration, which Rwanda initiated in November 2025, is pending. The Permanent Court of Arbitration will set a timetable for submissions and may issue binding rulings if the dispute cannot be resolved bilaterally. The process could take several years.
Conservative figures criticised Labour’s decision to scrap the deal, warning that British taxpayers could face substantial costs. The UK government has indicated it is reviewing what funds, if any, might be recoverable, while Rwanda maintains it is under no obligation to return money already received.