These names – OMG Dioh, Fabio Daja, Roxi Dibrani – may not mean anything to you, but they are a sensation in Albania. Among them there are rapperA influential person And actorand each has more than 100 thousand subscribers on the social network TIK Tak. The audience who The British government intends to exploit.

Content creators will be responsible for publishing videos to raise awareness among their followers about the risks of illegal emigration, in particular Channel crossings organized by smuggling networks. They will also be responsible for conveying the messages that most interest the British government: Anyone who enters the UK illegally will face consequences.

British government strategy

We regularly hear about the British government’s containment strategies: attempts move the asylum system to Rwanda, placement conditions are becoming more difficult, but we talk less about these communication campaigns.

Although resorting to this initiative foreign influencers to reduce immigration Surprisingly, this is part of a larger strategy. The government is already sponsoring posts on all social media platforms, especially in Albania, to discourage potential migrants from coming to the UK, and advertising and “prevention” campaigns.

They also want to use the same channels as smuggling networks, as the government insists it is driven by compassion and a desire to protect the most vulnerable.

The Ministry of Interior can boast that it has reached almost a million users in Albania. He does not confirm any figures, but the British press reports that the investment is very minimal – several tens of thousands of pounds.

“Albanian case”

Because this is one of the few countries where the government has managed to reduce the number of illegal arrivals. In 2022 Albanians represented the largest contingent of asylum seekersand in one year their number increased decreased by 90%.

This is due to these information campaigns, but above all to the agreement aimed at facilitating expulsions. So the government knows that the Albanian case will give it positive results that will be useful in what promises to be a difficult election year for the Conservatives.

RFI