Home Office launches ads in Iraq to deter small boat crossings
The Home Office is launching an advertising campaign in Iraq to try to stop people from crossing the British channel on a boat.
The former Conservative government launched similar campaigns in Albania and Vietnam in 2023 and 2024.
According to home office figures, 11 ships on 592 ships crossed the channel on Sunday. This represents the highest total of one day ever in March.
“The cruel criminal gangs spread dangerous dangers on social media to take advantage of people’s money, and we are using the true stories of victims to expose them,” said Angela Eagle, Minister of the Interior.
But, the Refugee Commission said that people who are desperate to escape from their hometowns are unlikely to change their minds due to the social media campaign.
An advertisement shows an image of a destroyed dinghy floating in the water and a man’s testimony that “the boat is too crowded” and “people disappear into the sea”.
Another said, “I got a well-paid job. Instead, I’m a slave.”
So far this year, 2,716 people have made their way through the road – an increase of 20% in the same period last year, although the figures have dropped in the previous year.
In 2024, 36,816 people were found to pass through, with more than 2,000 of them from Iraq.
Border security commander Martin Hewitt visited the country last week to increase international cooperation in response to criminal gangs organizing their journeys.
“Our international campaign is sending a clear message to prospective immigrants that these criminals cannot be trusted,” Hewitt said.
The ads were initially concentrated in the semi-autonomous regions of Iraq – and will be exhibited on social media, apps and news sites.
The Home Office also said that the British minister will sign a communique with the Vietnamese government, agreeing to “build our joint work to prevent the exploitation of irregular immigrants, undermine criminal gang operations, strengthen intelligence sharing and return people without rights”.
As prime minister, Rishi Sunak said “stop the ship” was one of his key priorities, and he tried to implement the Rwanda plan, which aims to block crossings by threatening to send arrivals to African countries.
However, the plan is insisted by a legal challenge, and the 2024 general election will be called before the implementation of the plan.
After taking office, Labour immediately gave up its plan, instead they wanted to focus on solving criminal gangs organizing the intersection of boats.
