The UK Home Office has initiated a new advertising campaign in Iraq with the aim of discouraging individuals from making the dangerous journey across the English Channel in small boats. This approach follows similar campaigns that were launched in Albania and Vietnam by the previous Conservative government in 2023 and 2024.
Recent data from the Home Office revealed that on Sunday, 592 migrants made the crossing in 11 boats, marking the highest total for a day in March on record. Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle emphasized the nefarious tactics employed by criminal gangs on social media to deceive people for financial gain, and stressed the importance of exposing these exploitative practices through the real-life stories of victims.
While the Home Office’s campaign seeks to dissuade individuals from undertaking the perilous voyage, the Refugee Council expressed skepticism about the efficacy of such measures for individuals fleeing persecution in their home countries. Various advertisements within the campaign feature harrowing accounts of individuals who suffered inhumane treatment and deception at the hands of smugglers.
In a bid to address the rise in Channel crossings, Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt visited Iraq to bolster international cooperation in combatting the criminal networks orchestrating these journeys. The campaign, initially targeting the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, will leverage social media, apps, and news websites to reach a wider audience and potentially deter prospective migrants from falling victim to human traffickers. Additionally, a joint communique is anticipated to be signed between UK ministers and the Vietnamese government to enhance collaborative efforts in preventing irregular migration and dismantling criminal operations
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