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A government-funded advertising campaign portrays the United Kingdom as expensive, run-down and prejudiced – in an attempt to deter Albanian immigrants from coming to the country.
Videos used on the social media network, designed to reduce the number of people on small boats crossing the Channel, show shops covered in graffiti and broken furniture scattered in a residential area.
Titled “Stories from Britain,” they also feature Albanian refugees complaining about the cost of living in Britain and the prejudice they face, as part of a £3.75 million project funded by the Foreign Office.
However, an internal Foreign Ministry document, seen by the newspaper, revealed that there was "limited evidence on the effectiveness" of what it called "persuasive communication approaches".
The scheme, which began under the last Conservative government but continued under Labour, also promotes posts that highlight positive reasons for Albanians to stay in their country.
Critics called the project "a costly failure."
William Yarwood of the Taxpayers' Alliance said: "Taxpayers will be seriously concerned to see their hard-earned money being spent on a covert PR campaign that pits Britain against it."
Daniel Sohege, of human rights policy consultancy Stand For All, said: “Campaigns to deter people from coming to the UK are not new and each time they have proven to be a costly failure. These campaigns ignore the reality of why and how Albanians come to the UK. They still make up one of the largest groups trafficked into the UK.”
In a video, an immigrant named Vera warned of "discrimination", adding: "The mindset that people have about Albanians... is not a very positive mindset. Living in England is very difficult."
In another, a man named Jonel grapples with the cost of living crisis and Brexit.
He said: “I came here on a visa. There have been a lot of changes, especially in the last eight years because of Brexit and some other changes because of the pandemic we went through. A lot of things have changed and the cost of living has become very high.”
The social media campaign is being led by TAG International, a consultancy based in Westminster./ AOl
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