THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A panel of international arbitrators has rejected a multimillion-dollar claim by Rwanda against the United Kingdom linked to a refugee resettlement deal that Prime Minister Keir Starmer scrapped immediately after taking office in 2024.
The deal, struck in 2022 by Starmer’s predecessor, Rishi Sunak, involved sending migrants who arrive in the U.K. as stowaways or in boats to the East African country. It included arrangements for payments to Rwanda to help cover costs. Starmer’s home secretary at the time the deal was scrapped, Yvette Cooper, called it the “most shocking waste of taxpayer money I have ever seen.”
The Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected two Rwandan claims, each for 50 million pounds ($67 million), linked to funding for the canceled deal. The decision was dated May 15, but formally announced by the Hague-based panel on Monday. It also rejected two other Rwandan claims linked to alleged breaches by the U.K. of the pact.
In a 76-page ruling, the panel said that written diplomatic exchanges between the two countries after Starmer scrapped the deal amounted to an agreement that the U.K. would not make the two 50 million-pound payments, due in April of 2025 and 2026, to cover costs of migrant relocations.
Under the deal, migrants were to be sent to Rwanda, where their asylum claims would be processed and, if successful, they would stay. Britain’s Supreme Court ruled that the policy was unlawful because Rwanda is not a safe third country for migrants sent there.
The British government said in a statement: “The U.K. robustly defended its position, and the tribunal has now ruled in favor of the U.K. on all grounds."
It added that Starmer's under-fire government is "now focused on delivering vital reforms to restore order and control to our borders, including removing the incentives drawing illegal migrants to Britain and scaling up removals of those with no right to be here.”
Rwandan Government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said Rwanda “respects the tribunal’s award and considers the matter concluded,” but she also noted a dissenting opinion by one of the arbitrators that she said “shows that the issues before the tribunal were complex and open to different legal conclusions.”
"Rwanda will continue to work constructively with international partners, guided by international norms and mutually beneficial cooperation,” she added.
Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London and Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda, contributed.
FILE - Exterior view of the Peace Palace, which houses the International Court of Justice, or World Court, in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)
BERLIN (AP) — The memories of two successive World Cup group-stage exits weigh heavily on the Germany team before another attempt at restoring lost pride.
Surely it couldn’t happen again?
Germany, the four-time world champion, has been on a quest for redemption since its ignoble exit from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar marked a new low for the national team. Hansi Flick, the Germany coach at the time, held on for six more games before making way after three straight defeats.
Julian Nagelsmann took over in time for the 2024 European Championship and marked a new beginning with young, exciting players. Germany, the host, lost to eventual champion Spain in the quarterfinals, when Nagelsmann said there had been little between the teams and bullishly lamented having to wait two years before becoming world champion.
Nagelsmann has maintained that stance and repeated it again Thursday, even if his late decision to recall veteran goalkeeper Manual Neuer from two years of international retirement indicates a lack of conviction in Oliver Baumann, whom he’d previously indicated would be the No. 1 in goal after solid performances in qualifying.
Neuer is the only remaining member of the World Cup-winning team from 2014 in the Germany squad.
Nagelsmann acknowledged that Neuer’s return is “a blow” for Baumann, a team player who is unlikely to grumble in public about the decision. But the 40-year-old Neuer’s experience over 124 games for Germany could be a boon for the squad in what will be the goalkeeper’s fifth World Cup tournament.
“Everyone knows what kind of aura he possesses and the quality he brings to a team,” Nagelsmann said. “We don’t have a goalkeeper problem.”
Neuer is just over two years older than the 38-year-old Nagelsmann – who will be at his first World Cup.
His inclusion lifts the average age of the squad to 27.98 years, the oldest since the 2002 World Cup under Rudi Völler, Kicker magazine reported.
Neuer’s teammate at Bayern Munich, Joshua Kimmich, will captain the side.
The only concerns are Neuer’s recurring injuries. Neuer was to miss Bayern Munich’s German Cup final against Stuttgart because of a calf injury.
Germany’s problems at the last two World Cups started with opening defeats to Mexico and Japan in Russia and Qatar, respectively.
Tournament newcomer Curaçao is unlikely to spring a surprise when they meet for their Group E opener in Houston on June 14.
Germany next faces Ivory Coast and Ecuador, potentially more difficult rivals, but Germany should still have enough firepower to advance from the group – particularly because FIFA’s expanded version of the tournament means 32 of the 48 participating teams will reach the knockout stage.
Germany had few problems in World Cup qualifying but has struggled against other European heavyweights like France, Portugal and Spain, suggesting it still has some way to go before it can compete against its main rivals.
Defensive stability is Nagelsmann’s biggest worry as Germany conceded four goals in two friendly wins over Switzerland (4-3) and Ghana (2-1) in March.
Jonathan Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck formed the central defensive partnerships for both games, with Kimmich – who plays in midfield for Bayern – at right back with David Raum or Nathaniel Brown on the left. Brown got the nod at left back for Germany's 4-0 warmup win over Finland on Sunday, when Tah and Schlotterbeck again formed the central defense.
Serge Gnabry’s absence through injury is a blow, but Germany has enough attacking talent in Bayern’s Jamal Musiala and Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz for Nagelsmann to resist calls to bring Cologne teenager Said El Mala.
Bayern’s Lennart Karl, the youngest member of the squad at 18, is Nagelsmann’s wild card after recovering from a hamstring injury in time to feature.
This story has been corrected as an earlier version incorrectly reported Germany beat Ghana 1-0, rather than 2-1, in March.
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
Germany's head coach Julian Nagelsmann, announces the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup during a news conference at the German Football Association, DFB, headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
Germany's head coach Julian Nagelsmann, announces the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup during a news conference at the German Football Association, DFB, headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
