Rwanda Suggests It May Not Repay $300 Million UK Paid for Deportation Deal Following New British PM’s Reversal The Rwandan government indicated it may not refund the more than $300 million received from the United Kingdom since 2022 for a deal aimed at deporting asylum seekers considered to have entered the UK illegally. This comes after newly-elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his intention to terminate the controversial agreement.
In a statement on Tuesday, a Rwandan government spokesperson clarified that the agreement with the UK did not include any provision for reimbursement. “Within the agreement, there was no clause regarding reimbursement… it never stated that the money would be refunded,” spokesperson Alain Mukuralinda said in a video posted by Rwanda Broadcasting Agency.
“We had an agreement. Both parties signed, it became an international agreement, we started implementing it, then after that you want out… best of luck,” Mukuralinda added.
The UK has disbursed £240 million (approximately $307 million) to Rwanda under the terms of the deal, according to information released by the British government in April this year.
Speaking at his first cabinet meeting on July 6, 2024, Prime Minister Starmer denounced the deportation arrangement as a “gimmick,” expressing his unwillingness to continue with it. He criticized the scheme during his inaugural press conference, asserting that it failed to act as a deterrent against illegal crossings.
Originally introduced in April 2022 by the Conservative government led by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the controversial plan faced significant opposition from lawmakers and activists on human rights grounds. Despite legal and political challenges, the bill was enacted in April of the current year.
Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended the initiative as a measure to dissuade vulnerable migrants from undertaking dangerous crossings and disrupt criminal networks exploiting them.
Criticism of the deportation plan came from various quarters, including UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, who argued it undermined international cooperation and established a troubling global precedent. Amnesty International UK described the plan as damaging to the UK’s moral standing and a violation of legal protections for vulnerable populations worldwide.
