KIGALI, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda has formally launched arbitration against Britain following London's decision to terminate a migration treaty.
The arbitration process began after Britain failed to honor its financial and resettlement commitments under the Migration and Economic Development Partnership treaty, which was signed to address irregular migration and protect vulnerable refugees, according to a government spokesperson's statement.
The partnership reflected a commitment to protecting vulnerable people and built on Rwanda's long-standing record of hosting refugees and migrants from around the world, it said.
The treaty, which entered into force in April 2024, aimed to facilitate the sending of some migrants who arrive in the UK across the English Channel to Rwanda, where their asylum claims would be processed.
Tensions between the two countries escalated in July 2024 when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, shortly after taking office, announced that the treaty was "dead and buried." Rwanda was informed later that no future removals of individuals under the agreement were planned and that the British government would consider formally terminating the treaty, according to the statement.
Britain had offered an upfront investment of 120 million pounds (about 149.5 million U.S. dollars) to facilitate the implementation of the five-year deal, which had faced legal challenges in Britain, well before the Labour Party's victory in the July 2024 elections. ■
