MBABANE: The United Kingdom (UK) will not have to pay Rwanda millions of pounds over the collapsed asylum agreement that was cancelled by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer shortly after he took office, an international court has ruled.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported on Monday that, the Rwandan Government had sought to sue the UK for more than £100million (over R2billion) saying it had breached the terms of the deal.
Signed by the previous Conservative Government, it was meant to see the UK pay Rwanda to host asylum seekers who had arrived illegally in the United Kingdom.
Lawyers representing the UK during the three-day hearing in the Netherlands had argued that it was “entirely logical” the plan would be scrapped when Labour came to power and “simple common sense” that no further payments would be due, they also denied the UK breached parts of the deal.
“Rwanda is not entitled to any of the forms of relief it seeks,” they told the Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration.
A Spokesperson for the Rwandan government said it respected the tribunal’s ruling and considered the matter concluded.
But in a statement, they added: “We note that the dissenting and separate opinion by Professor Mohamed Abdel Wahab shows that the issues before the tribunal were complex and open to different legal conclusions, including that the November 2024 exchanges relied on by the UK did not validly change the financial arrangements between the two countries.”
Pic: Internet.