Today, the Home Office announced new steps to combat migrant smugglers who facilitate illegal crossings across the Channel. The government is rolling out digital advertisements in regions with the highest migrant influx, such as the Kurdistan region of Iraq (KRI) and Albania with short films. The films aim to deter migrants by depicting the dangers of smuggler gangs as well as the risks associated with crossing the Channel.
The new digital advert campaign aims to counter the false narratives propagated by smugglers by showcasing real stories from migrants who attempted the journey, emphasising the dangers and exploitation they faced. The videos expose the exploitative tactics used to lure vulnerable individuals into illegal migration, revealing the risks and realities they face. It features stories from migrants who were misled into believing the journey to the UK would lead to a better life, only to find themselves coerced into sex work instead. These stories aim to debunk the false promises made by smugglers and prevent people from being groomed by traffickers to come to the UK.
The adverts contain messages, such as the one above, which reads: “I was promised good work. Instead, I became a slave.”
The UK will also be signing a new deal with Vietnam agreeing to build on cooperation to disrupt criminal gang operations, share intelligence and return those with no right to be in the UK as part of their efforts to work with international partners to tackle illegal migration.
Government statistics show that migrants from Albania, Vietnam and the Kurdistan region of Iraq (KRI) represent a significant portion of the UK’s irregular migration. In 2022, Albanians were the largest nationality detected arriving via small boats, with 12,658 arrivals. However, this number dropped significantly in 2024 to just 616, a decrease the government attributes to the UK-Albania agreement signed in December 2022.
Similarly, Vietnamese nationals were the leading nationality arriving by small boat at the start of 2024, making up 17% of such arrivals (2,248 individuals), but this figure also declined to 6% (1,354 arrivals) following the UK-Vietnam agreement signed in April of the previous year. According to government data, people from Iraq (including the Kurdistan region) accounted for 11% of irregular migrants entering the UK
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle said: “Ruthless criminal gangs spread dangerous lies on social media to exploit people for money, and we are exposing them using the real stories of victims”
“No one should be in any doubt that putting your life in the hands of a smuggler is not worth the risk. Too many people have died in the English Channel at the hands of these criminals, and we will stop at nothing to bring them to justice”
In addition to this campaign, UK Border Security Commander, Martin Hewitt, also visited Iraq and the KRI last week, to progress the agreement between Iraq and the UK which was created in November supporting cooperation in strengthening border security.
