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Britain and Rwanda will face off in an international court from Wednesday over a dispute linked to a cancelled migrant deportation agreement, with Kigali seeking more than £100 million it says London still owes.
Officials from both countries are scheduled to present their arguments during a three-day hearing at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
The tribunal, established in 1899 to resolve disputes between states, will hear the case before a three-judge panel.
The dispute centres on the controversial migration deal struck in 2022 under former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The agreement aimed to send migrants arriving in Britain through irregular routes, including small boats and lorries, to Rwanda for processing.
The plan faced legal and political opposition from the outset. It was eventually blocked by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, which ruled the policy unlawful.
After taking office in July 2024, Prime Minister Keir Starmer scrapped the scheme, describing it as “dead and buried” and dismissing it as a political gimmick.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also denounced the programme, calling it “the most shocking waste of taxpayers’ money” she had seen.
According to the current UK government, only four migrants travelled to Rwanda during the two years before the policy was abandoned, and all did so voluntarily.
London says it has already paid about £290 million to Rwanda under the arrangement. However, Kigali argues that two annual payments of £50 million each remain outstanding and should still be paid despite the deal’s termination.
In submissions to the tribunal, Rwanda argued that ending the agreement did not relieve Britain of its obligation to settle payments already due.
Rwanda is also seeking an additional £6 million, claiming Britain breached a related commitment to accept some of its most vulnerable refugees, many of whom had fled conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kigali says it spent the money on housing those refugees.
In addition to financial compensation, Rwanda has asked the tribunal to order Britain to issue a formal apology for its breach of the agreement.
Britain has rejected the claims, arguing that Rwanda’s legal case is weak. In its response, London said Kigali’s action was politically motivated and linked to Britain’s decision last year to suspend most of its financial aid to Rwanda over allegations it supported the M23 rebel group in eastern Congo.
British officials also said Rwanda withdrew from an earlier commitment to waive certain future payments related to the migration deal after the aid suspension was announced.
Rwanda’s government has denied wrongdoing and criticised Britain’s move to cut aid. Government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said at the time that trust between the two countries had been damaged by what she described as unjustified punitive measures.
Rwandan representatives are expected to present their case on Wednesday, with British lawyers responding on Thursday. Both sides will deliver final arguments on Friday.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration is likely to take several months before issuing a ruling.
Immigration remains a major political issue in the United Kingdom, which left the European Union in 2020 following a referendum campaign that included pledges to tighten border control.
