Tory minister Chris Philp squirmed as he asked "Congo is a different country to Rwanda, isn't it?" on Question Time amid a debate about the controvesial asylum plan.
The Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire was grilled about Conservatives' continued plans to send asylum seekers to the African nation and how safe these will be. A man in the audience in Tottenham, north London, expressed concerns family members in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo would be sent to Rwanda if they fled Congo to the UK due to the genocide - with Rwanda.
It skewered Mr Philp, who hesitated and said: "Well, Congo is a different country to Rwanda, isn't it? It's a different country?" Audience members were seen laughing, gasping and one woman had her hand over her mouth, visibly shocked by the politician's blunder.
Fiona Bruce was heard saying: "Yes" to ease Mr Philp on the right track but, by this stage, the man with the question was seen in giggles and gasps were heard from across the audience. Labour's Wes Streeting MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, was seen rolling his eyes at the hapless Mr Philp.
But Mr Philp, who represents Croydon South, eventually regained enough composure to allude to a "safety mechanism", which would protect anyone fleeing conflict. Nevertheless, the man who asked the question was still seen shaking his head in disbelief at the gaffe before right-wing columnist Charles Moore waded in to insist Rwanda "shouldn't be despised" and is "an orderly and well-run country". He then argued British citizens' rights must be supported in the row.
Twitter, now X, has gone into meltdown to mock Mr Philp. One post reads: "I have no words." Another states: "I don't believe this - How does Chris Philp not know that Congo and Rwanda are two different countries, that's embarrassing."
A third reads: "Possibly the most embarrassing moment on TV for a Tory MP who clearly does not know the difference between DR Congo and Rwanda or the significance of Goma. Truly humiliating." Goma is Congo's capital, where in October last year at least 26 civilians were killed by militants linked to the Islamic State group.
The Tory minister also struggled in front of the cameras in February when he declined to say whether Rishi Sunak's trans jibe at PMQs was "respectful" or "appropriate" - despite being asked SIX times.
The dad of two struggled to defend the PM's comments as he was repeatedly quizzed by TV host Naga Munchetty. It came as the PM resisted calls to apologise for a remark in the House of Commons as the mother of murdered transgender teenager Brianna Ghey visited Parliament.