Migration expert Robert Bates has slammed the government's Iraq advertising campaign as "ridiculous" and ineffective in deterring Channel crossings.
The campaign features real migrant testimonies about the dangers of crossing the English Channel and exploitation in Britain.
Speaking to GB News, Bates dismissed the effort as a "gimmick" that would not change migrants' minds about attempting the journey.
He said: "This idea that we're kind of making a revelation that is going to cause a 180-degree shift in their thought process is absolutely ridiculous.
Migration expert Robert Bates blasted the campaign as "ridiculous"
GB NEWS
"The thing I find fascinating about this, though, is that the Home Office is clearly presiding over this crisis.
"Labour has clearly made it a lot worse since they've come in, scrapped the Rwanda plan, and done all they can to increase the pull factors to Britain.
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"It's the fact that the Home Office is trying to make such a song and dance about this.
"The fact that they've put out an announcement, the fact that the Border Force was meant to be the agency that would really be clamping down on the gangs.
"Martin Hewitt is coming out and singing the praises of this, what is frankly, a gimmick.
"It suggests that the Home Office has absolutely run out of ideas on how to stop these flows, and they're now basically pleading with individuals halfway around the world not to even think about coming to Britain. But it's clearly not happening.
The government's Iraq advertising campaign has been posted online
GB NEWS
"It's clearly not having an effect. There's been a 25 per cent increase in the last year in the number of people coming across on small boats.
"The problem is getting worse under Labour, not better."
The Home Office initiative aims to counter misinformation spread by people smugglers on social media.
Similar campaigns were previously launched in Vietnam in December and Albania in January.
The Home Office initiative aims to counter misinformation
GB NEWS
The adverts are designed to expose the reality faced by those who attempt illegal Channel crossings.
Border Security and Asylum Minister Dame Angela Eagle defended the campaign, saying: "Ruthless criminal gangs spread dangerous lies on social media to exploit people for money, and we are exposing them using the real stories of their victims."
She added that the initiative "helps to break the business model of these criminals and protect people from falling victim, securing our borders as part of the Government's Plan for Change."
Eagle noted that too many people have died in the English Channel "at the hands of these criminals" and vowed to bring them to justice.
