£700 million down the drain. Rwanda sues London and demands an apology

Kigali is demanding over £100 million from London and a formal apology for breaking the migration agreement. The trial in this case began on Wednesday before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague (STA).

The agreement, as recalled by the AP agency, was concluded in 2022 by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Migrants who arrived illegally from Rwanda in the UK were to be returned to their home country at London's expense.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer suspended this extremely expensive and ineffective program as soon as he took office in July 2024. £700 million was spent, including on chartering planes that never flew to Rwanda and paying over £1,000. government officials, working on this program. His greatest failure was revealed by the British Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, when she announced that Only four people returned to Rwanda, and they did so voluntarily.

Rwanda argued to the arbitrators on Wednesday that it had incurred costs because it had established an asylum appeals chamber, offices in ministries and had prepared temporary centers for incoming refugees.

The British government appealed to dismiss Rwanda's claims, arguing that both countries agreed in November 2024 that Rwanda would waive the payments.

The dispute in The Hague is being conducted at a time when Great Britain has significantly reduced aid to Rwanda, accusing it of supporting the M23 rebels that are ravaging the eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague was established in 1899 to resolve disputes regarding contracts concluded between states. (PAP)

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