What is more, contrary to Tory party statements, there is no
way this “idea” will ever work (idea is in inverted commas because at best this
should be referred to as a third-rate notion).
It is flawed on almost every level and, unforgivably in
modern communications, is a major political error which is likely to cost the
Conservatives votes at the next election.
You only have to look at the wording and method used to see
how inflammatory these mobile billboards are.
“In the UK illegally? GO HOME OR FACE ARREST”
In terms of a BNP election poster, EDL banner or a piece of
National Front graffiti sprayed on a black person’s front door during the 70s
it’s a great slogan, but it is hardly nuanced or aim at encouraging thoughtful
debate.
The answer to the wording of these posters probably lies in
the fact illegal immigrants do not have a good grasp of the English language,
but then again it also asks people to text in for help getting home.
Seriously, how many illegal immigrants do they think have
mobile phones?
These people work low paid jobs and probably have no family
in this country so cannot afford and have no need of a mobile phone, not to
mention illegal immigrants go out of their way to avoid a paper-trail which can lead to their arrest.
This behaviour includes working for cash, removing the need
for a bank account, and not having a phone contract.
However, a more important question is even if an illegal
immigrant had a mobile phone, why would they hand themselves in?
Do we honestly think they are going to have a sudden attack
of conscience and volunteer to go back to a country they tried so hard to leave
in the first place?
These people risk life and limb, not to mention spend a
small fortune, to get here.
They also made the effort to leave their country of origin,
leaving behind everything they knew, family and friends to come here for a
reason, be it civil war, famine, chronic unemployment or the promise of a
better life.
Take what is a very common case. A poor young man from an
West African country who, unable to get a job in his home country, comes to the
UK with the promise of, albeit low-paid, employment, with the plan to send
money back to his family still in Africa.
This man is not going to volunteer himself to be sent back
home and no poster, no matter how inflammatory the slogan, is going to change
his mind. Even less likely is someone who escaped war or religious persecution
to come to the UK.
Under these circumstances it would almost be better to be arrested
as with the appeals process you would stand a far greater chance of staying in
the UK legally.
To show how idiotic this idea is consider a similar campaign
against other crimes. “Are you a rapist? Hand yourself in to receive a lighter
prison sentence”, “Mugged a Granny for her pension book? Give back her money
and we’ll forget it ever happened” or even “Are you driving drunk? Admit it now
or we’ll catch you the next time”.
Even the most effective piece of propaganda on this poster,
the claim of 106 arrests in the area last week, actually turns out to be
horrifically inaccurate.
When you think areas of London you would be forgiven for
thinking the statistic refers to your local borough, but no, the statistic is
actually for the whole of London and includes people stopped at immigration
points at airports.
If advertising agency used figures in this way they would be
dragged up before the standards authority before you could say Mark Twain -
Lies, damn lies and statistics.
Another major issue is where these vans have been deployed.
I am unable to speak with much authority on the demographics
of some of the areas, but deploying these in Hounslow is a massive middle
finger to large proportions of the local population.
Yes, Hounslow and the surrounding area has for a long time
had an significant immigrant population, largely due to it close vicinity to
the airport, which is probably why it was chosen.
However, the logic is flawed.
Most of the immigrant population in the area are actually
second, third or even fourth generation, which means they hold UK passports, not
to mention the fact their parents, or grandparents entered the country through
legal channels.
Its location near Heathrow also makes it an unlikely place
for illegal immigrants to stay. These people don’t arrive business class on
British Airways, they hide in shipping containers or cling onto the underside
of lorries.
You could claim there is work surrounding the airport, but
again this argument does not hold water.
Yes, a large proportion of the employment in the area stems
from Heathrow, but in the last decade the security requirements for working
anywhere in the airport have become incredibly strict, making it a very
unsuitable place for illegal immigrants to find work.
The most guiling part of this is there is somebody who got
paid, probably quite well, to come up with this campaign.
We can all agree illegal immigration is a problem, but in
terms of the financial burden they put on the taxpayer it is negligible outside
of the border control agency wage bill.
Illegal immigrants cannot claim benefit of any kind for the
very reason they are here illegally.
The fact of the matter is these posters are offensive and
are likely to increase racial tensions in these areas, deputising every
skinhead with a cross of St George tattoo to start harassing anyone with darker
skin.
In Hounslow in particular you will end up with a situation
where UK passport holders who happen to have Indian or Pakistani heritage, feel
alienated from mainstream society, have the impression the UK government do not
want them there and translate the posters as ‘Pakis go Home’.
Amazingly the Home Office and the UK Boarder Agency (UKBA)
have tried to make it worse by posting immigration offices outside train stations
to check people status, which basically means stopping and searching anyone with
dark skin, ignoring the fact there are plenty of non-EU countries with white
populations who could just as easily be illegal.
The Home Office even went further by Tweeting pictures “immigration
offenders arrested in Home Office operations.”
Even ignoring the fact this is a pair of jackboots and a swastika
away from being strikingly like the Nazi’s rounding up Jews, they managed to
commit contempt of court before the SUSPECTS (yes I studied media law and know
how this is supposed to be reported) even got to the police station.
Everyone agrees illegal immigration is a problem, but this
is not an issue which can be fixed with a police crackdown on the immigrants
themselves.
The UKBA and the Home Office needs to work on stopping the
human trafficking routes, better checks at REAL boarder entries (by which I
mean sea ports and international train stations, not Kensal Green underground
station) and focus their attentions on the criminal gangs who employ illegal
immigrants once they are in the country.
These goals are not achievable with racist posters, racial
profiling and poorly thought out random checks.
The cause of this has been the Tory party wanting to appease
its hard-right backbenchers.
Unfortunately, the result of this is an Orwellian crusade
against anyone who is not white.
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