Rwanda Sues UK Over Unpaid Funds Following Controversial Asylum Seeker Deal Cancellation

 Kigali. Rwanda has initiated legal action against the United Kingdom after the UK failed to pay the agreed-upon funds following the cancellation of a controversial deal to relocate asylum seekers.

According to Rwandan officials and British media, Kigali filed a lawsuit at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on Tuesday. Rwanda is seeking 50 million pounds in compensation, alleging that the agreement was not formally terminated and the remaining payment was withheld.

 The Telegraph newspaper reports that the UK is accused of not legally terminating the agreement, even though it was not practically implemented nearly two years ago, and has withheld the final payment.

‘The UK’s stance forced us into arbitration. Diplomatic dialogue was attempted before resorting to legal proceedings,’ Michael Butera, Chief Technical Advisor to Rwanda’s Minister of Justice, told AFP. The plan to send asylum seekers who arrived illegally via small boats to Rwanda was advanced by the government of then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2022. It was presented as a measure to stop immigration. However, in practice, only four volunteers actually reached Rwanda.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the complete termination of the deal immediately upon taking office in July 2024. Before the deal was canceled, the UK had already paid Rwanda 240 million pounds, with an additional 50 million pounds due in April. This case creates a new controversy in UK-Rwanda relations and immigration policy.