The court has ruled that the UK will not need to pay Rwanda millions of pounds as a result of scrapping the failed Tory deportation policy. Rwanda had sought £100 million in a lawsuit against the UK, claiming it was owed payments scheduled for 2024 and 2025 under a controversial deal endorsed by Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak. Despite efforts by Sunak’s government to circumvent legal issues surrounding the policy, no forced deportations were executed, leading to the project being abandoned by Labour upon assuming power.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected Rwanda’s claim for further payments, siding with the UK’s argument that no additional funds were owed following the policy’s termination. The Rwanda initiative, a key Conservative project, aimed to curb small boat crossings by relocating failed asylum seekers to Africa, but only a few individuals were eventually transferred, raising doubts about Rwanda’s capacity to accommodate them.
After the Supreme Court deemed the policy unlawful in 2023, Sunak introduced the Safety of Rwanda Act to designate Rwanda as a safe destination for deportations. However, revelations surfaced that the Foreign Office was preparing for potential conflict between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo even as the legislation was being advanced in 2024.
During the legal proceedings, UK lawyers contended that the abandonment of the plan with Labour’s ascent to power was a foreseeable outcome. Rwanda accused the UK of breaching the agreement and demanded outstanding payments along with compensation, which the UK refuted.
Upon assuming office, Keir Starmer promptly declared the plan defunct, prompting Rwanda to lament the financial costs incurred in readiness for the failed partnership. Rwanda sought redress for the breached agreement, proposing a settlement involving an apology from the UK in lieu of monetary compensation.
Although an arbitrator recommended a £50 million payment to Rwanda for the second year of the scheme, the majority ruled against it. A government spokesperson criticized the previous administration’s wasteful expenditure of £700 million on sending only four volunteers to Rwanda, emphasizing the current focus on border control reforms to deter illegal migration and enhance removal operations.