London (VNA) –ไ The UK’s Home Office on March 25launched a social media campaign in Vietnam to deter migrants from coming to the UK illegally, following successful similar drives in Albania, France andBelgium.

The campaign in Vietnam is the latest phase of the UKgovernment’s global campaign to warn migrants of the consequences of enteringthe UK illegally. It will harness social media adverts on Facebook andYouTube to directly target people who may be considering making dangerous andillegal journeys to the UK.  The campaign will use adverts on Facebook and YouTube to target people in the south-east Asian country who may be considering making illegal journeys to the UK. The social media posts emphasise the consequences of travellingto the UK illegally and the dangers people can expect to face, as well as setout the risks of being indebted to and exploited by the people smuggling gangswho profit from facilitating small boat crossings. The campaign warns prospective migrants of the reality of livingin the UK illegally with no right to be in the UK and no access to publicservices or funding. It includes testimonies from Home Office Immigration Enforcementand Border Force officers, who all too often encounter illegal migrants whohave been sold into modern slavery or illegal working by their smugglers. The campaign’s social media adverts direct users to a newwebsite with additional video content from Immigration Enforcement and BorderForce officers who describe some of the shocking cases they’ve encountered andtheir experiences of rescuing small boat migrants from life-threatening dangerin the English Channel. “Expanding our campaign to Vietnam, another key partner in ourwork to tackle illegal migration, will help us to save more lives and dent thebusiness model of the criminals who profit from this vile trade,” UK’s HomeSecretary James Cleverly said. Senior officials from the UK and Vietnam are due to meet inLondon on April 17 to discuss working in even closer partnership on migrationissues.

According to the UK’s Home Office, every year, organisedcriminal gangs bring thousands of people from all over the world, includingVietnam, to the UK by crossing the English Channel by small boats.

𒊎 In 2022-2023alone, up to 76,000 people came to England via this route. The number of peoplewho die on this sea crossing in 2023 tripled that of the previous year. Illegalmigrants can be forced to live in inhumane, cramped and hazardous conditions bycriminal gangs, with no access to basic hygiene, healthcare or legalemployment.

In December 2022, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced todouble funding for the National Crime Agency (NCA) to fight organised crime onmigration. The UK government also issued a new law on illegal immigration,which imposes quick deportation to people who have not followed the proper channels and therefore have no rights in theUK./.