UK negative ads to discourage Bulgarian and Romanian migrants

In an attempt to stem the flow of immigrants into Britain, government ministers are mooting a campaign of negative advertisements aimed at would-be migrants from Bulgaria and Romania.

As the 2014 deadline for opening the UK’s borders to migrants from countries about to become full EU members approaches, the UK government is planning a series of negative advertisements aimed at discouraging those who still see Britain’s streets as paved with gold.

Romania and Bulgaria in particular will be targeted with negative images of life in the UK after rumours that massed nationals of the two countries are already gearing up to migrate. Although the measures may seem extraordinary, reverse-branding precedents do exist as in the 2007 Belgian adverts for the Eurostar express service complete with images of skinheads urinating in teacups.

The trashing of the UK as a migration destination is now a hot potato for the government due to the electorate’s perceived discontent over the changing ethnic nature of many UK cities including London. Other measures being considered include toughening migrant access to public services and deporting those who arrive supposedly for work but have not found a job after three months.

The Migration Watch campaign group is predicting 250,000 arrivals from Bulgaria and Romania in the months following the relaxation of the present ban, and Tory MP Philip Hollobone claims the number of migrants from the two countries will treble within two years and is in favour of the ban being retained in spite of European Commission disapproval.

It remains to be seen whether the Home Office’s recently published guide to Britain, in which it states that the UK is a great place to live, will triumph. The alternative might well be an advert which advises would-be migrants that jobs are scarce, wages are rubbish, rents are unaffordable and it never stops raining.

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