Rwanda Stands Firm: No Refund for UK's Migrant Deal

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the migrant deportation plan forged by the ousted Conservative government was ‘dead and buried.’ (Reuters)

In a twist of international politics, Rwanda has signaled it won’t return over £234 million received from the UK since 2022. This money was part of a contentious deal to deport asylum seekers deemed to have entered the UK illegally to Rwanda.

On Tuesday, Rwandan government spokesperson Alain Mukuralinda clarified that the agreement lacked any “clause regarding reimbursement,” countering newly-elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plans to scrap the deal. “We had an agreement. Both parties signed, it became an international agreement, we start implementing it, then after that you want out… best of luck,” Mukuralinda stated.

Since the deal's announcement in April 2022 by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, it faced significant legal and political challenges. Critics, including Amnesty International and the UN, condemned the plan, arguing it undermined refugee protections and international cooperation. Starmer, calling the scheme a “gimmick,” expressed his unwillingness to continue it, emphasizing the bill's failure as a deterrent.

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