A social media blitz to scare Albanian migrants from crossing the Channel shows shops covered in graffiti, squalid flats and flytipping, it has emerged.
The Histori Nga Britania (Stories from Britain) campaign on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok features Albanians complaining about how expensive accommodation is and their experiences of discrimination.
The posts are illustrated by black and white images of closed shopfronts covered in graffiti, flats in a state of disrepair and mounds of broken furniture dumped next to a housing estate.
The campaign also includes posts highlighting Albania, including one called “Love North Albania”. These include images of beautiful Albanian countryside and traditional food.
William Yarwood, of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “Taxpayers will be seriously concerned to see their hard-earned cash being spent on a secretive PR campaign that talks Britain down.
“Tackling illegal migration should rightly be a top priority for the Government but it should focus on stronger border controls, not dodgy, ineffective spin.
“Ministers need to ensure that taxpayers’ money is spent efficiently and effectively, not wasted on costly gimmicks.”.
In one video, an Albanian migrant called Jonel said: “I came here with a visa. There have been many changes, especially in the last eight years due to Brexit and some other changes because of the pandemic we went through.
“Many things have changed, and the cost of living has become very high.”
In another, a graduate named Vera said she struggled to get into her chosen industry and has suffered from discrimination while in the UK.
She said: “I am working a full-time job in hospitality. This industry is not related at all to what I studied, nor to any of the fields that I studied.
“It is difficult to adapt, it is difficult to succeed in this whole world that has so much competition.
“And besides that, there is discrimination, the mindset that people have about Albanians. It is not a very positive mindset. To live in England is very difficult.”
The social media campaign is being run by TAG International, an international development consultancy based in Westminster.
A Government spokesperson said: “This account is not run by the UK Government and the views it promotes are from individuals from the Albanian diaspora and those who have returned to Albania. Tackling irregular migration and protecting Britain’s borders is a priority for this government.”
