The policing minister, Chris Philp, appeared to confuse the neighbouring countries of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on BBC Question Time on Thursday.

When discussing the government policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda, the Conservative MP for Croydon South responded to an audience member’s question during the BBC One programme by asking: “Rwanda is a different country of Congo, isn’t it?”.

The audience member, who said he came from the DRC where there is fighting with neighbouring Rwanda, asked: “Had my family members come from Goma [a city on the country’s border] on a [Channel] crossing right now, would they then be sent back to the country they are supposedly warring – Rwanda?”

An ally of Philp reportedly told the BBC Philp’s question had been rhetorical.