Britain Dodges £100 Million Rwanda Bill After Labour Scrapped Migrant Deal

Britain has won a crucial legal battle at The Hague, avoiding a potential £100 million payout to Rwanda after the Labour government scrapped the migrant deportation deal. This victory saves taxpayers a significant sum, but highlights the cost of Labour’s policy reversal.

Taxpayers Spared £100 Million Payout

The UK will not have to pay Rwanda more than £100 million after a court at The Hague sided with Britain. Rwanda had sued the UK, claiming a breach of contract after the Labour government abandoned the migrant deal, as reported by GB News.

Lawyers for Britain argued it was “entirely logical” that the plan would be scrapped by Labour after the 2024 general election, asserting that “simple common sense” dictated no further payments would be due.

Labour’s Policy Reversal and Previous Spending

The original deal, proposed by the former Conservative government, aimed to deter unauthorised Channel crossings by sending asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing. Labour campaigned on a manifesto pledge to scrap the scheme, with Sir Keir Starmer proclaiming in July 2024 that “The Rwanda scheme was dead and buried before it started.”

Before Labour took office, the Conservative government had already spent £700 million on the policy, which ultimately saw just four volunteers arrive in Rwanda before it was scrapped. Rwanda’s Minister of Justice, Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, told the court his country incurred “significant costs” and was “left to read about this development in the media.”

• Britain successfully defended against Rwanda’s £100 million claim at The Hague.
• The Labour government scrapped the migrant deal, fulfilling a manifesto pledge.
• The previous Conservative government had already spent £700 million on the scheme.
• Rwanda had sought £100 million in outstanding payments plus £6 million in compensation.

What This Means for Britain

This court victory means British taxpayers will not have to foot an additional £100 million bill for a scheme that the Labour government chose to abandon.

The episode highlights the financial consequences of policy shifts, with £700 million already spent on a policy that did not achieve its aims before being scrapped.

For ordinary people, this means less money wasted on a policy that ultimately failed to deter illegal crossings, though the core issue of border control remains unresolved.

The Labour government has stated it is now “focussed on delivering vital reforms to restore order and control to our borders,” including scaling up removals of those with no right to be here.

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This article is a factual summary of reporting by GB News. Full original story available on their website. All quotes directly attributed.

Source: GB News | Breaking Brexit News