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Rwanda files £50M arbitration case qgainst UK over halted migrant deal
The Rwandan government has filed a legal case against the United Kingdom at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Netherlands, seeking over £50 million (approximately 100 billion Rwandan francs) in compensation after the UK suspended a 2022 migrant agreement.
Rwanda is represented in the case by Minister of Justice and Attorney General Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, while the UK is represented by Dan Hobbs, Director of the UK Home Office’s Migration and Borders Directorate, working with lawyer Ben Juratowitch of Essex Court Chambers.
The agreement, signed in April 2022, aimed to transfer undocumented migrants and asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda, while also promoting economic cooperation between the two countries. Rwanda had already established facilities to receive the first group of migrants, scheduled for April 2024.
In July 2024, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer halted the deal, arguing it could not effectively prevent irregular migration by small boats. The UK had already paid Rwanda £290,000 to support migrant preparations prior to the suspension.
The UK Labour Party had criticized the deal, calling it costly and ineffective, while Rwanda maintains that the suspension violated legal commitments and caused unnecessary uncertainty.
This case underscores ongoing tensions over migration management and international agreements, highlighting the legal and financial stakes involved in cross-border migrant policies.
