Arbitration Court Rules UK Not Liable for Rwanda Payments

An international arbitration court ruled that the UK government is not required to pay Rwanda more than £100 million in outstanding costs tied to a canceled asylum-seeker deportation scheme. The decision came after a three-day hearing at the permanent court of arbitration in The Hague. Judges rejected the claim by majority for one annual payment and unanimously for the second.

The plan originated in 2022 when an accord was reached with Kigali to relocate asylum seekers arriving in the UK by small boats or lorries. Only four individuals ultimately traveled to Rwanda under the arrangement, all on a voluntary basis. The UK supreme court later declared the policy unlawful.

After the 2024 general election, the incoming government ended the program on its first full day in office. About £290 million had already been transferred to Rwanda before the scheme ended, according to UK government figures.

Rwanda sought two annual payments of £50 million each, plus £6 million in compensation and interest. Officials argued that the UK had failed to provide advance notice before terminating the deal. Lawyers for the UK countered that no further sums were due once the policy was abandoned.

They described the decision to halt payments as a logical consequence of the change in government. The arbitration court declined to award any additional relief.