The Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague ruled on May 15, 2026, that the UK government is not required to pay Rwanda more than £100 million in disputed costs related to the abandoned migrant deportation scheme [1, 2, 3].
The scheme, agreed in 2022 under then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, aimed to send migrants arriving illegally in the UK to Rwanda for asylum processing [4, 2, 3]. The UK paid around £290 million to Rwanda before scrapping the plan [4, 3]. Despite the payments, only four migrants voluntarily travelled under the scheme [4, 1, 3].
Prime Minister Keir Starmer cancelled the agreement in July 2024, calling it "dead and buried" and a "gimmick" [4, 1, 3]. Rwanda sued the UK over two outstanding annual payments of about £50 million each, originally due in April 2025 and April 2026 [4, 1, 3]. Rwanda claimed the UK breached the deal and incurred costs preparing for the scheme [4, 2]. The UK denied any breach or obligation for further payments [4, 2].
The court found diplomatic exchanges showed Rwanda agreed to forgo the additional payments [1, 2, 3]. A UK government spokesman said, "The UK robustly defended its position, and the tribunal has now ruled in favour of the UK on all grounds... focused on delivering vital reforms to restore order and control to our borders" [3].
The UK Supreme Court had previously ruled the deportation scheme illegal before full implementation [4, 3]. Relations between the two countries deteriorated amid aid suspensions and accusations of Rwanda’s involvement in regional conflicts [1].
The ruling clears the UK of further financial liability in the case, ending the dispute over the disputed £100 million-plus payments.
