This news article, along with the featured image, was originally published by Channel Africa, under the same title, on 29 January 2026.

By Asanda Zondi, Channel Africa

According to Professor Loren Landau, Senior Researcher* of the African Centre for Migration & Society at the University of the Witwatersrand, “African countries are increasingly asserting themselves in migration arrangements.”

The statement comes as Rwanda has taken the United Kingdom (UK) to international arbitration, seeking £100 million ($134 million) in compensation after the cancellation of a controversial 2022 asylum agreement.

The deal had aimed to relocate some asylum seekers arriving in the UK to Rwanda for processing and settlement, with British funding covering accommodation and integration. Legal challenges, political criticism, and limited transfers meant the programme was formally scrapped after only a small number of people had been relocated.

Rwanda argues it fulfilled its obligations and is now demanding repayment for costs already incurred. Landau says the dispute highlights shifting power dynamics, with African states increasingly able to assert authority in arrangements historically dominated by Western nations.

Landau adds that the case also raises broader ethical and legal questions. “It exposes the limits of international law when wealthy countries attempt to outsource their responsibilities. This is as much about principle and authority as it is about money,” he says.

The outcome could reshape how Europe engages African states in migration partnerships and influence wider debates about human rights, responsibility, and migration diplomacy.

*The original version read “Director,” and here it has been corrected to “Senior Researcher.”