Rwanda's government has refused to return the $350 million it received in advance after the UK's new Labour government scrapped the controversial asylum deal with the African nation.
"We have upheld our end of the deal, and we believe if there is any overpayment that can be discussed, however we are under no obligation to provide any sort of refund," said Doris Uwicyeza Picard, Coordinator of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership Coordination Unit.
Meanwhile, Picard acknowledged the UK government's right to terminate the agreement.
"We took note of the UK’s decision to terminate the agreement; we want to reiterate that this was a partnership initiated by the UK to solve a UK problem, and Rwanda stepped up," she emphasized.
The official added that the Rwandan government has already invested the money in developing infrastructure and increasing capacity to accommodate asylum seekers.
Last week, the UK's new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, swiftly cancelled the deal on his first day in office, stating it was "doomed to failure" and not a deterrent to illegal migration.
While the agreement included a clause allowing Britain to withdraw from further payments without penalty, it is likely that the UK will still have to fund the four asylum seekers already transported to Kigali.