Britain, Rwanda in £100m court clash over migrant deal

Britain and Rwanda face off at an international court from Wednesday, with Kigali seeking more than £100 million, it says London still owes from the abandoned scheme to deport migrants to the East African nation.

Officials from both countries will present arguments over three days before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, where a three-judge panel will adjudicate the dispute.

Rwanda argues that two annual payments of £50 million remain outstanding despite Britain’s decision to scrap the deal. In its 37-page submission, Kigali said the termination “does not change the UK’s obligation to pay any amount that was already due and payable.”

It is also claiming £6 million for costs it says it incurred housing vulnerable refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo under a reciprocal arrangement with London. Rwanda has also asked the court to order Britain to issue a formal apology for walking away from the agreement.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson struck a deal with Rwanda in 2022 to send migrants arriving in Britain through irregular routes to Kigali for processing. The scheme faced immediate legal challenges and was ultimately ruled illegal by the UK Supreme Court.

When Keir Starmer took office in July 2024, he declared the plan “dead and buried” on his first full day as prime minister. His government says about £290 million had already been paid to Rwanda, with only four people having actually travelled there, all voluntarily.

Britain has dismissed what it calls “obvious weaknesses” in Rwanda’s case, arguing that Kigali’s real motivation is retaliation for London’s decision last year to suspend most financial aid over Rwanda’s alleged support for M23 rebels in the DRC. Kigali denies backing the armed group.

London’s submission noted that Rwanda reversed its agreement to waive future payments on the same day the aid suspension was announced. Rwanda’s government spokeswoman, Yolande Makolo, said at the time that trust had been broken by what she called “unjustified punitive measures.”

Rwandan officials will open their case on Wednesday, with British lawyers responding on Thursday. Both sides will deliver closing arguments on Friday. A ruling is expected to take several months.

SOURCE: AFP