The Rwandan government, represented by its Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, claims that the UK’s decision violated the terms of a deal originally signed in 2022 by former Home Secretary Priti Patel, when Boris Johnson was Prime Minister.
Under the agreement, the UK says it had already paid £290 million to Rwanda, with a further £50 million due in April 2025, the amount at the center of the legal dispute as reported by GB News.
The deal was intended to relocate undocumented migrants arriving in the UK via small boats to Kigali, where they would be housed and given the opportunity to claim asylum.
However, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer made scrapping the Rwanda scheme one of his first acts upon taking office in July 2024.
Rwanda strongly opposed Starmer’s decision, arguing it was made hastily and without proper consultation.
Speaking to Daily Mail, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticized the suspension, describing Rwanda’s legal claim as “yet another catastrophic legal consequence of Labour’s decision to scrap the Rwanda scheme”
The UK government defended the suspension, arguing that the previous policy wasted significant taxpayer money and resources.
Figures from the Home Office indicate that as of September 2025, 36,273 migrants were still being accommodated in hotels at the taxpayer’s expense, an increase of nearly 7,000 since Labour came to power.
According to GB News, Rwanda has appointed Lord Verdirame KC of Essex Court Chambers to represent its case, while the UK government is represented by Ben Juratowitch. The legal papers also name Dan Hobbs, the Home Office director for migration and borders, as a case representative.
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