Rwanda Won’t Reimburse UK for Failed Migrant Deal

After UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's new Labour government struck down the previous administration's migration deal with Rwanda, the question was raised as to if Rwanda would pay the UK back for the hundreds of millions of pounds that they had invested into the plan..The question has now been answered, with Rwanda stating that it is not obligated to pay the UK back for the plan..No Obligation.PM Starmer on Saturday, July 6th, declared the UK's deal with Rwanda to deport illegal migrants and illegal asylum seekers to Rwanda "dead and buried before it started," putting an official end to the plan that was first announced more than two years ago. Throughout the course of preparations for the plan, the UK invested approximately £240 million GBP ($370 million)..Following this, the UK government announced on Monday, July 8th, that it would seek the return of the portions of its investment that have not yet been spent and could theoretically be returned. A spokesman from 10 Downing Street stated that any money that Rwanda successfully returns to the UK would be redirected and instead invested in the UK's new 'Border Security Command,' meant to tackle small boat crossings carrying migrants across the English Channel..This goal may be more difficult than the UK had hoped, however, after Rwandan government spokesman Alain Mukuralinda stated on Tuesday, "Let this be clear, paying back the money was never part of the agreement." He further added that the terms of the agreement "did not stipulate" that money should be refunded in the event of the plan's failure. Beforehand, Rwanda stated it had "fully upheld its side of the agreement.".The Rwandan statements follow similar words in January..Speaking to a BBC journalist at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Rwandan President Paul Kagame stated that the money was "only going to be used if those people will come. If they don't come, we can return the money.".After this, Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo stated that "under the terms of the agreement, Rwanda has no obligation to return any of the funds paid," but that if the UK were to request a refund, that Rwanda "will consider this request.".Rwanda's words this week do not explicitly state that they will not return the money. However, they do imply that is the decision they are coming to..Within Rwanda, many workers who have gotten jobs to construct housing for the migrants are concerned that they may lose their jobs over the scrapping of the deal. While a number of housing units meant to house migrants have already been constructed, many are still under construction, and their workers are paid higher than usual wages..The construction projects have brought economic benefit to a number of Rwandan neighbourhoods, particularly in Kigali, the Rwandan capital..Much of the money the UK invested into the plan was to construct units like these, provide general upgrades to Rwandan infrastructure that would assist them in receiving migrants, and fund programs to provide language classes and employment opportunities for migrants..The Plan.The UK's plan to deport illegal migrants and illegal asylum seekers to Rwanda was first announced by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson over two years ago. Since then, it has faced continuous legal challenges and parliamentary delays that have prevented any deportation flights from taking off..Former PM Rishi Sunak, who had come to champion the policy for the Conservative Party, announced in June that flights would begin on July 24th. However, the election was set for July 4th, and the at-the-time oppositionist Labour Party had expressed wishes to scrap the plan. A Labour victory in the election seemed certain, and so the plan's future became dependent on the election..The Labour Party secured an overwhelming majority, one of the largest in the nation's history, and has now scrapped the plan..Initially, it was meant to be a deterrent to migrants attempting small boat crossings. The journey, which takes place across the English Channel, is highly dangerous and has led to numerous fatalities in the past..Tens of thousands of migrants enter the UK through small boats each year, in journeys the UK government says are oftentimes organized by human trafficking groups, which they refer to as "people smugglers.".While scrapping the Rwanda plan, the new Labour government has stated they primarily intend to combat the crisis by going after many of these groups, and putting an end to human trafficking networks..Thus far in 2024, at least 13,000 people have entered the UK through small boat crossings. The number of crossings has been on a mostly upward trend since 2018, when records began being kept, with the exception being 2023 which saw a notable drop. Some experts have said this was due to a long streak of unfavorable weather, which made crossings more dangerous than usual..This year, if crossings continue at the rate they have, is set to break the record for crossings, which was set in 2022 when a record 45,755 people crossed into the UK. Thus far crossings have been more than the equivalent time in previous years, with the rate of crossings likely to rise further as the year continues on.