Court rejects Rwanda's €115m claim over scrapped UK migrant deal

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · Jun 01, 2026 · 385 words · By Gavin Blackburn

UK-Rwanda Diplomatic Relations Legal Disputes Migration Policy

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What to know about UK-Rwanda Diplomatic Relations

In 2022, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson sealed a deal with Kigali to send migrants arriving in Britain via "dangerous or illegal journeys" in small boats or lorries to Rwanda.

Claims checked 10

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center67%

Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

In 2022, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson sealed a deal with Kigali to send migrants arriving in Britain via "dangerous or illegal journeys" in small boats or lorries to Rwanda.

Why it matters

An international court rejected a claim by Rwanda on Monday for Britain to pay more than £100 million (€115 million) it said London still owed from a scrapped deal to deport migrants.

Common ground

Judges from the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague ruled that Britain was not liable for two years of outstanding costs from the scheme that was shelved in 2024.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this UK-Rwanda Diplomatic Relations story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that During the two years before the scheme was scrapped, only four people actually went to Rwanda, all voluntarily, according to the current UK government?
What happens next if the deal stalls, and who has the power to restart talks?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/01/court-rejects-rwandas-115-million-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4

verified Verified By Reference 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 2

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Claim 1: “During the two years before the scheme was scrapped, only four people actually went to Rwanda, all voluntarily, according to the current UK government.”

CORROBORATED

Three separate web search results confirm the UK government's statement that only four people went to Rwanda and that they did so voluntarily.

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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 1, 2026 · But she said only four people were sent to the East African country before Labour scrapped the relocation program — and they went voluntarily.
https://www.facebook.com/Channel4News/posts/the-uk-wont-have…

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web search NEUTRAL — Jul 8, 2024 · But she said only four people were sent to the East African country before Labour scrapped the relocation program — and they went voluntarily.
https://www.facebook.com/InfoMigrants/posts/the-uks-rwanda-a…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jun 1, 2026 · During the two years before the scheme was scrapped, only four people actually went to Rwanda, all voluntarily, according to the current UK ...
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/01/uk-will-not-…

verified

Claim 2: “In 2022, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson sealed a deal with Kigali to send migrants arriving in Britain via "dangerous or illegal journeys" in small boats or lorries to Rwanda.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and multiple web search results confirm that Boris Johnson's government announced the plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda in April 2022.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In early July 2022, 62 of the United Kingdom's 179 government ministers, parliamentary private secretaries, trade envoys, and party vice-chairmen resigned from their positions in the second administra…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_2022_United_Kingdom_gover…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Boris Johnson's tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom began on 24 July 2019 when he accepted an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II to form a government, succeeding Theresa May, and ended on 6…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premiership_of_Boris_Johnson

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The UK and Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership was an immigration policy proposed by the governments of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak whereby people whom the United Kingdo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda_asylum_plan

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 3: “the PCA, set up in 1899 to settle contractual disputes between nations, rejected by majority a £50 million (€57 million) claim for one year and unanimously rejected the same amount for the second.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results specifically detailing the majority vs unanimous split of the PCA's decision on the two £50 million claims.

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Claim 4: “When Keir Starmer became prime minister in July 2024, he declared the plan "dead and buried" on his first full day in office”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Keir Starmer became PM in July 2024 and scrapped the Rwanda agreement shortly after taking office.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sir Keir Rodney Starmer (born 2 September 1962) is a British politician and lawyer who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024, and as Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. Star…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keir_Starmer

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The political positions of Keir Starmer, the prime minister of the United Kingdom from 2024 to 2026 and Leader of the Labour Party from 2020 to 2026, have frequently changed. Views of his political ph…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Keir_St…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Keir Starmer's tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom began on 5 July 2024 when he accepted an invitation from King Charles III to form a government, succeeding Rishi Sunak of the Conservative…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premiership_of_Keir_Starmer

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “Judges from the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague ruled that Britain was not liable for two years of outstanding costs from the scheme that was shelved in 2024.”

CORROBORATED

Reports from June 2026 explicitly state that judges from the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague ruled Britain was not liable for two years of outstanding costs.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — International arbitration can refer to arbitration between companies or individuals in different states, usually by including a provision for future disputes in a contract (typically referred to as in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_arbitration

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered at the Peace Palace, in The Hague, The Netherlands, which was built to house the PCA. Unlike a judicial cour…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_Court_of_Arbitration

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The South China Sea Arbitration (Philippines v. China, PCA case number 2013–19) was an arbitration case brought by the Republic of the Philippines against the People's Republic of China (PRC) under An…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_China_Sea_Arbitration

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 6: “Britain slashed aid to Rwanda, accusing it of supporting M23 rebels in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results regarding the UK slashing aid to Rwanda due to M23 rebel support.

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Claim 7: “Kigali argued in its pre-hearing submissions to the PCA that two annual payments of £50m were still outstanding.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim that Kigali argued for two annual payments of £50m is found in one specific search result snippet.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jun 3, 2026 · Court rejects Rwanda $135M claim against Britain over migrant deal. The scheme hit legal and political obstacles from the start, with the U.K. ...
https://www.courthousenews.com/court-rejects-rwanda-135m-cla…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jun 1, 2026 · Rwanda is taking the UK to international arbitration to claim about £50 million, arguing the UK still owes them under the scrapped asylum ...
https://www.facebook.com/DDIndiaLive/posts/britain-will-not-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — According to the UK government website, about £290 million has already been paid to Rwanda, but Kigali argued in its pre-hearing submissions to the PCA that two ...
https://www.trtafrika.com/english/article/79b3bc51e079

info

Claim 8: “According to the UK government website, about £290 million (€335 million) has already been paid to Rwanda”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific figure of £290 million is mentioned in one search result snippet referring to the UK government website, but not independently corroborated by other provided sources.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Apr 26, 2024 ... If a person relocated to Rwanda left the east African country, the UK would have stopped its per-person payments to Rwanda and paid £10,000 to ...
https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/commentaries…

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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 1, 2026 ... Under the deal, which was signed by the previous Conservative government, the UK agreed to make payments to Rwanda to host asylum seekers who ...
https://www.facebook.com/BBCnewsafrica/posts/the-rwandan-gov…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Dec 2, 2024 ... Under the agreement, if a relocated individual decided to leave Rwanda, the UK would stop payments for that individual but would pay the ...
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/medp-with-rwanda-…

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Claim 9: “An international court rejected a claim by Rwanda on Monday for Britain to pay more than £100 million (€115 million) it said London still owed from a scrapped deal to deport migrants.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent news reports from June 2026 state that an international court rejected Rwanda's claim for over £100 million (€115 million) from the UK.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills" for its high elevation and rolling terrain, its geography is dominated by mou…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Rwandan genocide, also known as the Tutsi genocide, occurred from 7 April to 19 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. Over a span of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi ethnic group, as well a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_genocide

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 10: “the UK Supreme Court eventually ruling it illegal.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While the provided Wikipedia snippet for 'Rwanda asylum plan' describes the policy, the broader context of the 'Safety of Rwanda Act 2024' indicates the previous legal challenges (including the Supreme Court ruling) that necessitated the Act. The claim is a widely documented historical fact regarding the scheme's legal trajectory.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 UK refugee plan is a proposed change to the United Kingdom's asylum and immigration system. The plan was announced and led by the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, and presented to Parliament …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_UK_refugee_plan

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 (c. 8) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The act sought to deter unlawful migration, particularly by unsafe and illegal routes,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_of_Rwanda_(Asylum_and_I…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.