Former UKIP MEP Steven Woolfe has lashed out at a taxpayer-funded social media campaign to deter Albanian migrants from illegally moving to Britain.
Speaking on GB News, the campaigner called it an “appalling” abuse of tax funds.
Video posts under the title Histori Nga Britania (Stories from Britain) Albanian immigrants speak about the difficulties that come with living in Britain.
Patrick Christys and Emily Carver said they were baffled by the clips popping up on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok as it is a Government campaign showing Britain to be a “dump”.
Steven Woolfe criticised the campaign, saying it 'won't work'
GB NEWS / TAG
Woolfe said: “This is an appalling abuse of public money. Rather than just protecting our borders and stopping them getting here in the first place, that would make a lot more sense than spending money on a propaganda campaign that won’t work.
“We know the Albanian gangsters are importing their own criminals into many areas of the country, making vasts amount of money which they are sending back home and getting cars and houses.”
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Videos show Albanians speaking about the difficulties of living in Britain
GB NEWS
Patrick described the video: “The TikTok videos of Albanians throwing £50 notes around, dealing cocaine in front of Ferraris is going to do a lot more to entice Albanians over than this bloke who has been paid to chain smoke in front of a camera and talk about fly-tipping.
“I mean, good grief. The state of this. We should probably portray a giant portrait of Churchill on the White Cliffs of Dover sticking two fingers up.”
The posts portray a gloomy outlook in Britain with black and white images of closed shopfronts covered in graffiti.
The Government did not tell the i how much was being spent on the project but it is being funded by the Foreign Office as part of its £3.75m a year campaign to combat “irregular Albanian migration”.
Steven Woolfe joined Patrick Christys and Emily Carver on GB News
GB NEWS
Officials have admitted it’s yet to have the desired impact with an internal Foreign Office assessment seen by The i saying: “There is limited evidence on the effectiveness of a dissuasive communications approach”.
The initiative started under the previous Conservative government in 2023 and has continued under the new Labour administration.
Labour has continued the scheme despite the party’s criticism for Tory “gimmicks” on tackling the migrant crisis last year.
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.”
