No 10 defends axeing of Rwanda scheme after legal action launched by country

Downing Street has defended the decision to scrap the previous Tory government’s doomed Rwanda deportation scheme after it emerged the east African country is suing the UK over the move.

Rwanda has launched arbitral proceedings against the UK through The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration.

The nation is seeking £50 million in compensation after the UK failed to formally terminate the controversial agreement, The Telegraph reported.

The previous Conservative government spent some £700 million on its flagship Rwanda policy before the 2024 general election.

The programme, to remove some people who had arrived on UK soil in small boats to east Africa and agreed in a treaty between London and Kigali, was intended as a deterrent.

Just four volunteers ultimately arrived in Rwanda and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer declared the plan “dead and buried” as one of his first moves in office.

Rwanda began the inter-state arbitration proceedings under the asylum partnership agreement in November, according to the Netherlands-based court’s website, which lists the case status as pending.

Asked about the legal action, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters on Tuesday: “The Rwanda scheme was a complete disaster.

“It wasted £700 million of taxpayer cash to return just four volunteers.

“The truth is that 84,000 people crossed the Channel from the day the Rwanda deal was signed to the day it was scrapped.

“It was never a deterrent.

“We will robustly defend our position to protect British taxpayers, and we’re getting on with the job of focusing on effective ways to stamp out illegal migration, not costly gimmicks.

“And as I’ve said, we’ve removed under this Government almost 50,000 people who were here illegally.

“And more broadly, the Home Secretary set out the most sweeping reforms to tackling illegal migration in modern times to remove the incentives which draw people to the UK illegally, (and) increase removals of those with no right to be on British soil.”