U.K. issues online ads to deter illegal Channel crossings

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context:

The U.K. on Monday launched a new global social media campaign, aimed at Vietnam in particular, to deter migrants from trying to cross the Channel from northern France on small boats.

More on news:

It comes as statistics showed the number of arrivals using the hazardous and highly contentious route up by 15% so far this year compared to the same period in 2023.
An increasing proportion of “small boat” arrivals hail from Vietnam, with the southeast Asian nation among the top 10 nationalities for migrants crossing the Channel, according to the U.K. Interior Ministry.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made “stopping the boats” one of his top priorities, and claimed to be succeeding when they fell by around a third last year.

About Online Adverts:

The new online adverts, which feature real testimonies from those who have previously made the dangerous journeys are being posted on Facebook and YouTube to target Vietnamese migrants.
They also warn prospective migrants of “the reality” of living in Britain “with no right to be in
the U.K. and no access to public services or funding”.
It follows a similar campaign last year targeting migrants from Albania, which contributed to a
90% reduction in arrivals from the Balkan country.

About English Channel:

The English Channel is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France and links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busiest shipping area in the world.
The Channel was a key factor in Britain becoming a naval superpower and has been utilized by Britain as a natural defense mechanism through which they halted many would-be invasions, such as the Napoleonic Wars and those of Adolf Hitler in World War II.
The population around the English Channel is predominantly located on the English coast and the major languages spoken in this region are French and English.