Rwanda Takes UK to Arbitration Over Cancelled Asylum Partnership

Rwanda has initiated formal arbitration proceedings against the United Kingdom at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, officials said, over London’s decision to abandon a controversial asylum cooperation agreement signed between the two countries.

Under the original treaty, Britain agreed to pay Rwanda to receive and process asylum seekers who had arrived in the UK via irregular channels. Only a handful were ever transferred before the Labour government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer scrapped the scheme in 2024 amid legal challenges and criticism that it was ineffective and costly.

Rwandan officials said the UK had requested that Kigali forgo two outstanding payments of 50 million pounds each due in April 2025 and 2026, arguing the treaty was effectively dead. Kigali said negotiations on terminating the deal formally never took place and that the amounts remain owed under the agreement’s terms.

The arbitration notice argues that Britain breached the financial arrangements of the pact, with Kigali asserting it was left with no choice but to seek legal resolution after diplomatic engagement failed. Rwanda said it was prepared to negotiate new terms if the treaty had been properly ended.

Ties between the UK and Rwanda have been strained by the dispute, which has also seen London pause some development aid to Kigali over concerns, including Rwanda’s alleged involvement in regional conflicts — an accusation Rwanda denies.

SOURCE: Reuters