The Home Office announced a plan to pay foreign social media stars thousands of pounds from taxpayer’s money to warn people smugglers about the dangers of bringing immigrants to the UK via small boats.
Expansion Plans Initiated by Home Secretary
James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, announced the government will be paying foreign social media influencers thousands of pounds to urge potential migrants not to cross the channel in small boats.
Rappers, lifestyle influencers, travel writers, comedians, and TV personalities from countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa will be paid to discourage young men from making the perilous journey to the UK.
An overall budget of £576,500 has been allocated to be shared among the celebrities in the five countries involved in the initiative.
Global Reach with New Countries Added
The countries include Albania, Iraq, Egypt, and Vietnam, whose celebrities will be paid hefty bonuses for their troubles, with future plans to introduce it in Turkey and India.
Some celebrities will receive £5,000, with an allocated budget of £30,000 for influencers purely in Albania. Additionally, budgets of £15,000 each are earmarked for influencers in Vietnam and Egypt.
The government has insisted that it has reduced border crossings in 2023 by 36%, “The relentless action we have taken reduced crossings by 36% last year, which saw similar weather conditions to 2022,” a spokesperson said.
Leaked Information on Border Control
Leaked border documents estimated that the number of migrants making the dangerous journey to the UK via small boats could increase to 35,000 in 2024.
A Home Office spokesperson stressed the need to counteract people smugglers’ use of social media, “People smugglers frequently use social media to peddle lies and promote their criminal activities,” they said.
The statement mentioned the importance of revealing the dangers of the journey to smugglers, “it is vital that we utilize the same platforms to inform migrants about the truths about crossing the Channel and coming to the UK illegally,” it said.
The Home Office insisted it would “Make no apologies for using every means necessary to stop the boats and save lives.”
More of the Same Tactics
The Home Office has reportedly been using the same tactics to spread the news in Albania, France and Belgium for the last few years, which will now be spread out to countries across continents.
The influencer initiative is part of a broader £1 million advertising campaign, scheduled to launch concurrently with the planned removals to Rwanda in the spring.
An Albanian rapper known as ‘Omg Dioh’ and comedians like Roxhi Dibran and lifestyle influencer Fabio Daja have been chosen based on their ability to influence and educate.
Rwanda Scheme Prompted
Since 2018, nearly 116,000 people have entered the UK via small boats, prompting the government to introduce the Rwanda deportation scheme that has yet to be approved for human rights breaches.
So far, in 2024, reports indicated that over 1600 migrants have entered the country illegally via small boats already, with 10 months still to go. According to data, 13,600 Albanians migrated illegally to the UK during 2022 but declined heavily in 2023.
Education Influence
Albanian rapper ‘Omg Dioh’ was selected because he “uses the platform [TikTok] to influence and educate youngsters to work hard and follow their passions,” according to draft documents.
Rishi Sunak’s “Stop The Boats” campaign has become a trend on TikTok over the last year, with thousands of influencers sarcastically mocking the phrase.
The initiative is set to cost the British taxpayer £1 million, with many wondering whether smugglers making a living from illegal migration will stop because a TikTok influencer said so.
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