An exclusive story in the Independent has uncovered that the Home Office set up a website targeting asylum seekers. The information on the site contained ‘misleading’ claims, which might deter people from travelling to the UK to set up a new life here.
It comes as women with babies and children were among 56 migrants packed into a small room in “shocking” conditions in Dover, the Home Secretary has been told.
Priti Patel has been sent a letter by Yvette Cooper, chair of the Home Affairs Committee, raising “serious concerns” after MPs visited the Kent Intake Unit.
As well as concerns over overcrowding and the length of stays, the committee was “very concerned” about the “clear risk” of a Covid-19 outbreak.
In the letter, Ms Cooper said: “I am writing to raise serious concerns about the shocking conditions the committee observed during its visit to the Kent Intake Unit yesterday.
“The holding room facility, in which detained asylum seekers wait for onward placement and screening, is wholly inappropriate.
“Yesterday there were 56 people packed into the small waiting room. The space is clearly unfit for holding this many people.
“Most people were sitting or lying on a thin mattress and those covered almost the entirety of the floor including the aisles between seats.
“Sharing these cramped conditions were many women with babies and very young children, alongside significant numbers of teenage and young adult men.
“We heard that the maximum period of time any individual should be held in this room is 24 hours but that in recent weeks some people have been kept in this small holding room for periods up to 36 and 48 hours.”
‘Misleading’
Now the Independent reports that the government department created a fake organisation called On The Move, which claims to “provide migrants in transit with free, reliable and important information”.
The ‘On The Move’ website claims to offer ‘reliable information’ but does not disclose government affiliation.
Links to the website were pushed out to asylum seekers in France and Belgium as part of a social media campaign that cost the government £23,000 over five months.
The front page of the On The Move website asks the following questions:
“Are you or someone you know considering travelling to the UK without proper documentation or a valid visa?
“Migrants are often told by smugglers that the journey to the UK will be safe and easy, but in fact smuggling puts migrants at serious risk of abuse and exploitation.
“Read on to find out more information about life as an irregular migrant or asylum seeker in the UK.“
On the legal risks section of the site, it reads:
The UK regularly returns people who enter via irregular routes and have no right to be there.
It is illegal to smuggle or help those trying to smuggle people into the UK.
If you are caught:
- Assisting people to enter the UK through illegal means
- Arranging transport for people to hide aboard and attempt to enter the UK
- Using force to stowaway on a vehicle bound for the UK
The UK Government will take criminal action against you, and you could end up in prison whilst waiting to be returned.
Don’t risk your life or put yourself in people smugglers’ debt – find out about alternative options.
Action against criminals:
Those who seek to come to the UK unlawfully and the ruthless criminals who facilitate journeys are all breaking the law and endangering lives.
The UK government returns people who have no right to be there
Drone camera footage is used to detect people trying to get into the UK and alert authorities
If you are found to assist people smugglers, by steering the boat or helping to get other people to pay smugglers, then you will have criminal action taken against you
Brexit
The website explained that the UK “regularly returns people who enter via irregular routes” but in reality, Britain has not been able to deport asylum seekers to EU countries since 1 January due to Brexit.
Alongside that there is a claim that steering a dinghy across the English Channel “is a crime”, although controversial prosecutions of boat pilots have recently been limited. The CPS on recently said on the change: “In cases involving the use of a boat where the sole intention is to be intercepted by Border Force at sea and brought into port for asylum claims to be made, no breach of immigration law will take place … the same applies where the intention is to sail the boat to a designated port of entry in order to claim asylum.”
Lizzie Dearden, who broke the story, published this thread on Twitter.
“Exclusive: The Home Office set up a website targeting asylum seekers with “misleading” claims to deter them from journeying to the UK It created a fake organisation called On The Move, which claims to provide “free, reliable and important information.”
Exclusive: The Home Office set up a website targeting asylum seekers with “misleading” claims to deter them from journeying to the UK
— Lizzie Dearden (@lizziedearden) July 31, 2021
It created a fake organisation called On The Move, which claims to provide "free, reliable and important information”https://t.co/jeDcQZRiu6
“Links to the website were pushed out to asylum seekers in France and Belgium as part of a £23k govt social media campaign The website, using a .org domain associated with charities, contains no government branding and does not disclose any link to the Home Office.”
Links to the website were pushed out to asylum seekers in France and Belgium as part of a £23k govt social media campaign
— Lizzie Dearden (@lizziedearden) July 31, 2021
The website, using a .org domain associated with charities, contains no government branding and does not disclose any link to the Home Office pic.twitter.com/NLfVxOQfms
“The website was set up in April 2020, using a private registration tool that conceals the owners’ personal information It invites asylum seekers to email On The Move with questions, without knowing that they would be contacting the British government.”
The website was set up in April 2020, using a private registration tool that conceals the owners' personal information
— Lizzie Dearden (@lizziedearden) July 31, 2021
It invites asylum seekers to email On The Move with questions, without knowing that they would be contacting the British government pic.twitter.com/tvI2IkVwu0
“The website contains misleading claims about returns and prosecutions A page on “safe and legal alternatives” does not detail how to seek asylum in the UK or reach Britain Instead, it focuses on France, Belgium and other EU countries, or how to “return home voluntarily”
The website contains misleading claims about returns and prosecutions
— Lizzie Dearden (@lizziedearden) July 31, 2021
A page on “safe and legal alternatives” does not detail how to seek asylum in the UK or reach Britain
Instead, it focuses on France, Belgium and other EU countries, or how to “return home voluntarily”
“The Home Office said that posts linking to the website were made from its “clearly branded” official Facebook and Instagram accounts as part of a campaign from December to April But the website remains online without any link to the government or official branding.”
The Home Office said that posts linking to the website were made from its “clearly branded” official Facebook and Instagram accounts as part of a campaign from December to April
— Lizzie Dearden (@lizziedearden) July 31, 2021
But the website remains online without any link to the government or official branding pic.twitter.com/WQiCTW1t0T
Dan O’Mahoney, the Clandestine Channel Threat Commander, said campaign “highlighted the risk of making deadly journeys and providing information on claiming asylum in the safe country they are in. We make no excuse for providing important and potentially lifesaving information.”
Dan O’Mahoney, the Clandestine Channel Threat Commander, said campaign "highlighted the risk of making deadly journeys and providing information on claiming asylum in the safe country they are in. We make no excuse for providing important and potentially lifesaving information.”
— Lizzie Dearden (@lizziedearden) July 31, 2021
Home Office response
Dearden then tweeted about going for a right to reply from the Home Office, writing: :After I put questions about the website to the Home Office, the first line of its response was: “The Independent’s claims are wrong and misleading” They hadn’t seen my article, I hadn’t even written it.”
After I put questions about the website to the Home Office, the first line of its response was: "The Independent’s claims are wrong and misleading"
— Lizzie Dearden (@lizziedearden) July 31, 2021
They hadn't seen my article, I hadn't even written it https://t.co/Zm68VnSRwj
After the story broke Prof Tanja Bueltmann wrote a series of tweets: “So the Home Office set up a fake organisation pretending to provide ‘free, reliable and important migration information’ for asylum seekers. But in the section entitled ‘UK migration: safe and legal alternatives’ it provides info about … wait for it … EU member states.
So the Home Office set up a fake organisation pretending to provide ‘free, reliable and important migration information’ for asylum seekers. But in the section entitled ‘UK migration: safe and legal alternatives’ it provides info about … wait for it … EU member states. ? pic.twitter.com/DieyJgDojq
— Prof Tanja Bueltmann (@TanjaBueltmann) July 31, 2021
“These actions obviously represent a complete dereliction of duty—and on several levels. To be very clear: for a Govt department to spread what effectively amounts to misinformation in order to maintain the hostile environment …. it is a truly despicable approach.”
These actions obviously represent a complete dereliction of duty—and on several levels. To be very clear: for a Govt department to spread what effectively amounts to misinformation in order to maintain the hostile environment …. it is a truly despicable approach.
— Prof Tanja Bueltmann (@TanjaBueltmann) July 31, 2021
“Whenever I think that I’ve now seen it all when it comes to the Home Office, there is a new low. This one is particularly low though.”
Whenever I think that I’ve now seen it all when it comes to the Home Office, there is a new low. This one is particularly low though. Full story here: https://t.co/gMa8yFenZK
— Prof Tanja Bueltmann (@TanjaBueltmann) July 31, 2021
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