The United Kingdom Government has confirmed on March 4 that it will not make any further payments to Rwanda following the cancellation of the controversial migrant deal between the two nations.
Rwanda’s Government spokesperson, Yolande Makolo, stated that the UK had requested that Rwanda “quietly forgo” the remaining £50 million (approximately $64 million) in payments, based on “trust and good faith”.
However, Rwanda has now demanded that the UK pay the remaining amount it claims it is owed, accusing the UK of breaching trust by suspending some aid to the country.
In a statement, a UK government spokesperson clarified that no further payments would be made in relation to the migrant policy, and that Rwanda had agreed to waive any additional payments. The dispute comes after the UK government announced it would suspend bilateral aid to Rwanda, except for support aimed at the poorest and most vulnerable, following allegations that Rwanda had been backing the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda has denied these accusations but has defended its actions, citing the need to address what it describes as an “existential threat” posed by genocidal militia near its borders.
The migrant deal, which had been devised by the previous Conservative government in 2022, was scrapped by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer after he took office. The scheme, which had cost the UK government £240 million ($310 million), was described by Starmer as “dead and buried”, arguing that it had been ineffective as a deterrent. A UK government spokesperson reiterated that the Migration and Economic Development Partnership had been a waste of taxpayer money and should not continue.