Rwandan diplomat criticizes UK’s migration policy while covertly filmed

A video of Rwanda’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom has emerged in which he criticizes the British government migration policy.

Johnston Busingye was covertly filmed by the campaign group called ‘Led By Donkeys’ in an undercover investigation unveiled on Saturday (Sep. 30).

The former Justice minister who now has an ambassadorial-level role said British leaders needed to have a long-term migration policy when asked what he would say to Home Secretary or British Prime minister Rishi Sunak.

“They should have a long-term idea,” Busingye  said. “They should have a long-term policy of making it a choice for people not to risk their lives coming to the UK. Because right now, many people are not coming here because of war in their country. No, they’re coming here because they are hopeless. They’re coming here because they have no future.”

In another segment of the Led By Donkeys’ investigation which was conducted by journalist Antony Barnett, Johnston Busingye says it is “immoral” for Britain to claim to be a compassionate country given its past in places including “Africa”, “India” and “China”.

“[It] is immoral for this country to still see themselves as the refugee country, the solace country, the protection country, the compassion country,” he said. “They enslaved millions of people for 400 years.”

Rwanda’s government slammed the investigation by LedByDonkeys. And said Saturday that Kigali operates from a position of mutual respect and open dialogue with the UK on the Migration and Economic Development Partnership deal both countries signed.

It said its High Commissioner to the UK plays “an important role in maintaining” the nations’ bilateral ties.  

The deal between the UK and Rwanda to send migrants and asylum seekers to Rwanda has earned London much criticism, mostly from its opposition and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), who have called for its cancellation.

The British court of appeal ruled deporting migrants to Rwanda “illegal” in June.

Despite protests against the plan, the Uk government said it would bring the case before the Supreme Court.