Overview
- Rwanda filed a Notice of Arbitration on November 24, 2025, at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, where the case is listed as pending.
- Kigali’s case focuses on disputed payments, citing two £50 million instalments confirmed by 2024 diplomatic notes, while UK media report Rwanda is seeking £50 million in compensation.
- The filing advances three claims: breach of the binding financial notes, breach of Article 18 on payments, and breach of Article 19 for refusing to arrange resettlement of vulnerable refugees.
- The UK issued formal termination only after Rwanda’s arbitration filing, with the treaty set to end on March 16, 2026, and says it will robustly defend its position.
- The abandoned scheme has cost the UK roughly £700 million, including about £290 million already paid to Rwanda, and resulted in just four voluntary transfers.