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STOP THE BOATS
Illegal migrants warn of slavery hell to stop others crossing Channel
Ministers want to bust myths peddled by criminal gangs
ILLEGAL migrants are being warned they face slavery if they come to Britain in small boats in a new advertising campaign.
Videos will be released in Albania over the next few weeks featuring testimony from the victims of people smuggling gangs.
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The digital ads will appear on social media and alongside online news articles.
Ministers hope they will bust the myths peddled by international criminal gangs.
And put prospective migrants off making the dangerous journey across the world’s busiest shipping lane in rubber dinghies.
Testimony from one migrant, whose face is obscured, reads: “I was promised a well-paid job. Instead I was a slave."
READ MORE ON MIGRANT CRISIS
Home Office messaging warns the viewer: “Trying to enter the UK illegally could cost you everything.”
Another migrant advert says: “I owe a lot of money for the journey. They won’t say how long I need to work for or how much I owe.”
Accompanying Home Office messages warn that illegal migrants are not allowed to work in the UK and risk being exploited.
In another one a migrant reveals the threats they faced: “They said my family would be harmed if I didn’t follow instructions.”
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Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt told the Sun on Sunday the ads will send a “clear message” to migrants they cannot trust smuggling gangs.
A good relationship with the Albanian Government has led to a steady drumbeat of return flights.
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On Thursday 31 Albanian foreign national offenders were returned on the latest flight.
Mr Hewitt added: “This campaign helps to break the business model of these criminals and protects people from falling victim to their dangerous lies, securing our borders as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.
“Working closely with international partners like Albania, we are targeting criminal gangs at every step, disrupting their operations across borders, and bringing perpetrators to justice.”
More than 760 people crossed the Channel last week.
On Friday, the French coastguard rescued 68 from a small boat off Calais after an engine failure.
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