Rwanda has initiated arbitration against the UK to recover $68.9 million tied to a controversial 2022 asylum agreement abandoned in 2024, officials confirmed this week. The deal, originally negotiated under former PM Boris Johnson, would have relocated UK asylum seekers to Rwanda in exchange for payments totaling nearly $400 million.
💰 Diplomatic Breakdown
Michael Butera, a top advisor to Rwanda’s justice minister, stated: "We’ve exhausted diplomatic channels—the UK left us no choice." London had already paid $330 million before current PM Keir Starmer axed the deal in July 2024, calling it legally and ethically untenable.
🌍 Ripple Effects
Tensions escalated after Britain slashed aid to Rwanda over its alleged support for M23 rebels in Congo—a claim Kigali calls "punitive fiction." The UK government vows to "defend taxpayers' interests" in arbitration.
This clash highlights post-Brexit migration policy struggles, compounded by a 2023 UK Supreme Court ruling deeming the Rwanda plan illegal. With global migration debates heating up, this case could set precedents for how nations negotiate border control strategies.
