LONDON: The British government has announced plans to pay social media influencers to post content that deters migrants from crossing the English Channel.
TikTok celebrities in countries from which migrants to the UK often originate will receive thousands of pounds to “engage prospective migrants” and promote new immigration laws, including the threat of deportation to Rwanda, The Times reported.
The idea was put before Downing Street by Cass Horowitz, the social media adviser behind Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s PR campaign, “Brand Rishi.”
Part of a £1 million advertising blitz, the plan was proposed in the wake of a ban on the UK government’s use of TikTok, which prevents the Home Office from using the platform. The ban was introduced last year due to security concerns about the Chinese-founded firm.
The Home Office believes TikTok is “vital” to target potential migrants as the video-sharing platform is often used by people smugglers to advertise cross-Channel migration.
A Home Office spokesman said in a statement: “People smugglers frequently use social media to peddle lies and promote their criminal activities and 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.”
Shortlisted influencers currently include TikTok stars in Albania, Iraq, Egypt and Vietnam, with plans to include more in Turkiye and India.
The Home Office has contracted Multicultural Marketing Consultancy to find candidates. The firm said that the seven celebrities it had proposed were “popular culture opinion-formers who are well-placed to disseminate key messages on TikTok about the reasons to remain in country, risks to crossings (and) the legislation that applies if you arrive in the UK.”
The English Channel has been a route into the UK for small migrant boats since 2018. In 2022, some 46,000 people were discovered crossing the Channel aboard inflatable dinghies, but the number declined in the first half of 2023 to about 11,500 boats, according to the Migration Observatory.
