Rwanda has downplayed secretly filmed comments by its high commissioner to Britain that criticised the UK’s stance on migration.

As a spokesperson for the Rwandan government, Yolande Makolo defended the country’s immigration partnership with the UK while stating that global immigration policies were “broken”.

As a result, the campaign group, Led By Donkeys, published an investigative piece in which Rwandan ambassador Johnston Busingye defended the asylum deal but questioned the UK’s moral role during a meeting in London with an Asian businessman who supposedly wanted to invest in Rwanda.

As a country that still views itself as the compassion country, he said, “this is immoral. They enslaved millions of people for 400 years. They destroyed India, they destroyed China, they destroyed Africa.”

In response to a question about what he would say to the UK home secretary about migrant policy, Mr Busingye replied, “I would tell them they are doing it completely wrong.”

In order to prevent people from risking their lives by coming to the UK, the government should have a long-term plan.

According to Makolo, Rwanda believes that the current global immigration policies are unsuitable for refugees based on Rwanda’s position on long-term strategy.

The broken global migration system is failing to protect the vulnerable, and empowering criminal smuggling gangs, she said.

According to her, Rwanda is committed to the agreement with the UK, which is still being appealed by the Supreme Court after an appellate court declared the agreement unconstitutional.