UK Launches Iraq Ad Campaign to Deter Small Boat Crossings
The UK Home Office is rolling out an advertising campaign in Iraq to discourage people from attempting to cross the English Channel in small boats. This initiative follows similar efforts in Albania and Vietnam under the previous Conservative government in 2023 and 2024.
Recent data from the Home Office shows that on Sunday, 592 migrants crossed the Channel in 11 boats—the highest daily total for March on record.
Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle said the campaign aims to counter misinformation spread by criminal gangs exploiting vulnerable individuals. "Ruthless criminal gangs spread dangerous lies on social media to exploit people for money, and we are exposing them using the real stories of their victims," she stated.
However, the Refugee Council questioned the effectiveness of such campaigns, arguing that those fleeing persecution are unlikely to be deterred by social media ads.
One advert features an image of a destroyed dinghy floating at sea, accompanied by a survivor’s testimony: "The boat was too crowded… people disappeared into the sea." Another shares the story of a woman who was deceived with promises of a good job but was instead trafficked into slavery.
So far in 2024, 2,716 people have made the crossing—a 20% increase compared to the same period last year, though lower than the year before. In total, 36,816 migrants were detected making the journey in 2024, with more than 2,000 originating from Iraq.
Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt recently visited Iraq to strengthen cooperation against smuggling networks. "Our international campaign is sending a clear message to prospective migrants that these criminals cannot be trusted," he said.
The ads, initially targeting Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, will appear on social media, apps, and news websites.
Meanwhile, the UK government is set to sign an agreement with Vietnam to enhance intelligence-sharing, prevent the exploitation of irregular migrants, and disrupt smuggling operations.
As Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak prioritized "stopping the boats" and proposed a controversial plan to send migrants to Rwanda. However, legal challenges delayed implementation, and the policy was abandoned when Labour took office in 2024. The new government has shifted focus to tackling the criminal networks behind the crossings instead.
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