Rwanda launches arbitration against UK over scrapped migration treaty

Rwanda has launched arbitration proceedings against the United Kingdom over its decision to abandon a bilateral migration treaty, accusing London of breaching financial and resettlement commitments under the agreement, the Rwandan government said on Monday.

Rwanda submitted a Notice of Arbitration to the Permanent Court of Arbitration under the Treaty between the United Kingdom and Rwanda concerning the Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP), formally commencing proceedings against Britain, according to a statement from the government spokesperson.

The MEDP, which entered into force in April 2024, was designed to “deter irregular migration” to the UK while addressing what Rwanda described as “the global imbalance of economic opportunity” driving such movements. Under the agreement, asylum seekers arriving in Britain would be relocated to Rwanda for processing, while Kigali would receive financial support and development assistance.

The partnership was scrapped shortly after the UK’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer, took office in July 2024. He declared the scheme “dead and buried”, a decision Rwanda said was taken without prior notice.

“Later that day, Rwanda was informed that no future removals of individuals under the MEDP were scheduled or intended to be scheduled,” the statement said.

Rwanda said Britain subsequently asked it to forgo two £50 million payments due in April 2025 and April 2026, pending formal termination of the treaty. Kigali said it was prepared to accept that arrangement only if new financial terms were negotiated.

“Discussions between Rwanda and the United Kingdom did not however ultimately take place and the amounts remain due and payable under the treaty,” the statement said.

Rwanda accused the UK of refusing to make any further payments under the agreement and of failing to honour commitments to resettle some of the most vulnerable refugees hosted in Rwanda.

“It has also made clear that it has no intention of honouring its further commitment to make arrangements to resettle in the UK a portion of the most vulnerable refugees hosted in Rwanda,” the statement said.

Britain later notified Rwanda of the treaty’s termination, which will take effect on March 16, 2026, in line with the agreement’s terms.

“Rwanda sincerely regrets that the UK has decided to bring the partnership to an end,” the statement said.

In the arbitration, Rwanda is advancing three claims, including alleged breaches related to financial arrangements and the UK’s refusal to arrange refugee resettlement.

“Rwanda regrets that it has been necessary to pursue these claims in arbitration, but faced with the United Kingdom’s intransigence on these issues, it has been left with no other choice,” the government said.

Rwanda said it remained committed to addressing the global migration crisis and to “providing safety, dignity and opportunity to refugees and migrants”.

The MEDP was signed in April 2024 as a flagship agreement between Rwanda and the UK under the previous Conservative-led government. It was presented as a bold response to irregular migration, but it quickly attracted controversy both domestically and internationally.

In the UK, the policy faced sustained legal challenges, with courts questioning its compatibility with international refugee law. Opposition parties and human rights organisations criticised the plan as unethical and impractical. These political and legal pressures ultimately led the new Labour government to cancel the agreement before any asylum seekers were relocated.

Rwanda says the cancellation left it in a difficult position, having already invested resources in preparing facilities and systems for incoming migrants.

On 24 November 2025, Rwanda formally filed a Notice of Arbitration at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. Kigali argues that the UK breached binding treaty obligations by withdrawing unilaterally and failing to honour its financial commitments, despite Rwanda acting in good faith and incurring significant costs.

Central to Rwanda’s claim is a demand for £100 million, which it says represents funds committed under the MEDP. These funds were intended to support resettlement infrastructure, humanitarian programmes, and broader economic development projects linked to the partnership. Rwanda insists that the UK’s refusal to release the money constitutes a breach of contract.

The case also comes amid a broader global shift toward tougher migration control strategies. The United States has struck deals with several Latin American and African countries to accept deportees in exchange for financial incentives, arrangements that have drawn widespread criticism from human rights groups. Despite this, the Trump administration has pushed such policies aggressively, and reports suggest some European countries are exploring similar schemes.