Rwanda Drags UK To Court Over Failed Asylum Plan

Rwanda has brought an inter-state arbitration against the United Kingdom over the scrapping of a controversial partnership first proposed by prime minister Boris Johnson that would have seen illegal immigrants and asylum seekers relocated to the east African state.

Rwanda has lodged the claim for the £50million through the Netherlands-based Permanent Court of Arbitration.

Rwanda claims it was prepared to forego the payment but Labour failed to terminate the agreement with the country after cancelling any deportations.

Rwanda says it is now owed the money and is seeking to be compensated.

Rwandan government said the UK failed to formally terminate the agreement despite scrapping the scheme – allowing the Rwandans to claim the payment even though not a single migrant has been forcibly deported to the eastern African state.

However, Labour has consistently criticised the Rwanda scheme as a waste of money that cost the taxpayers some £700 million.

Just four migrants were voluntarily sent to the east African state.

The £700 million included £290 million of payments to Rwanda, the cost of chartering flights that never took off, detaining hundreds of people and then releasing them, as well as paying for more than 1,000 civil servants to work on the scheme.

Under the agreement, the UK had paid £220 million to Rwanda as of February 2024, with three further payments each of £50 million to be made in April 2024, 2025 and 2026.

The agreement contained a break clause that the UK could activate at any point without having to make any further payments.