BRITAIN will not have to pay Rwanda millions of pounds over the failed migrant deportation deal after winning an international arbitration case.

Rwanda had sued Britain for more than £100 million, claiming it breached the terms of their agreement when Labour scrapped the scheme after winning the 2024 general election.

The two countries clashed in a three-day hearing in March at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

Lawyers representing Britain argued it was “entirely logical” that the plan would be scrapped when Labour came into power after the 2024 general election and “simple common sense” that no further payments would be due.

Rwanda’s minister of justice Emmanuel Ugirashebuja told the court the country had incurred “significant costs” preparing for the partnership and was not even informed in advance that Britain was ending the deal, with leaders “left to read about this development in the media.”

Rwanda asked the court to find Britain in breach of the agreement and demanded outstanding payments of around £100m, plus £6m in compensation and interest — or alternatively, a formal apology.

The tribunal ruled in Britain’s favour on all grounds, though one arbitrator argued Britain should pay £50m for the second year of the scheme before being overruled by the majority.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had declared the Rwanda plan “dead and buried” as one of his first acts in office.

The previous Conservative government had spent £700m on the flagship policy, under which migrants arriving by boat from France would be sent to Kigali to deter Channel crossings.

Just four volunteers ultimately travelled to Rwanda before the scheme was scrapped.

A government spokesperson said the previous government’s policy had wasted time and taxpayer money to send four volunteers to Rwanda, adding that the government was now focused on “removing the incentives drawing illegal migrants to Britain.”

The Refugee Council’s Imran Hussain said: “We welcome the government’s actions to stop any more UK taxpayer money being wasted on this obviously unworkable scheme.

“The Rwanda scheme irresponsibly squandered more than £700m and created chaos by pausing asylum decisions, leaving more people stuck in the system and driving up the use of hotels.”