A new UK-backed advertising campaign has been launched in Iraq aimed at dismantling the ‘dangerous lies’ of smuggling gangs in a bid to stop people making dangerous journeys
Harrowing messages from victims of people smugglers are being used to highlight the dangers people face.
In one chilling video a man who made the dangerous journey says: “The boat was too crowded. People disappeared into the sea.”
A new campaign seeks to warn would-be asylum seekers of the exploitation they face at the hands of smuggling gangs. In another clip a woman says: “I was promised a well-paid job. Instead I was a slave. I was physically threatened if I refused to work.”
Digital adverts launched in Iraq warn about the “dangerous lies” criminals tell – and the grim realities behind them. The stories, told by people who made the journey, also include a man who recounted: “I feared they would kill me if I escaped.”
Ministers have unveiled the campaign in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). The Home Office says it is ramping up such efforts to counter traffickers using social media to advertise.
Border Security Minister 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 their victims.
“This campaign helps to break the business model of these criminals and protect people from falling victim.” She added: “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 January The Mirror reported that at least 78 people are known to have died making the perilous journey to the UK. This included several children, including baby Maryam Bahez and seven-year-old Sara Al Ashimi.
The UK agreed last year to work with the federal government in Iraq to tackle people trafficking. And today a new agreeement will be signed with Vietnam to improve intelligence sharing and return people who fail in their asylum claims.
Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt said: “By strengthening these relationships and working closely with law enforcement partners across the world, we will bring down these gangs, break their business models, and put a stop to the misery and harm they inflict.”
He said the adverts will send a “clear message” that criminals cannot be trusted. It comes after the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) last month called for the Government to make more safe and legal routes available.
Labour peer Lord Alf Dubs, who was himself rescued from the Nazis when he was a child, said people fleeing conflict “have no viable alternatives, leaving them at the mercy of people smugglers”.
“Targeting and dismantling the smuggling gangs is necessary to address dangerous Channel crossings, but it is not enough and leads to smugglers taking greater risks with the lives of refugees.
“As pressure on the smuggling networks intensifies, the boats are becoming increasingly overloaded and setting off from riskier locations, putting more lives at risk. For too long, the response to Channel crossings has focused on deterrence and enforcement, without addressing the root causes.”
