The UK government is launching adverts for the first time on
Zalo, the Vietnamese instant messaging and social platform with
over 77 million monthly users, as it expands its campaign warning
people about the dangers of trusting people smuggling gangs.
The ads will run on Zalo and Vietnamese news aggregator Báo Mới
in the coming weeks, the first time the UK government has ever
advertised on these platforms, helping to secure our borders as
part of the Plan for Change.
The campaign forms part of the UK government's response to a
deluge of false claims spread on social media platforms
encouraging people to come to the UK illegally. Posts frequently
use coded messages to evade content moderation, such as referring
to small boat crossings as a ‘game.' People smugglers have also
offered discounts to those who film their journey so the footage
can be used as promotional material.
The campaign launch comes as the UK hosts the landmark Organised
Immigration Crime Summit at Lancaster House on 31 March – 1
April.
The Summit will bring together delegates from over 40 countries
and marks a step change in the international community's approach
to tackling OIC. It is a critical
opportunity to strengthen global
cooperation, disrupt criminal networks, and prevent further loss
of life.
Representatives from Meta, X and TikTok are attending the Summit
to discuss how to jointly tackle the online promotion of
irregular migration, such as illegal people smuggling networks.
The National Crime Agency announced in January that it had
triggered the removal of more than 8,000 accounts linked to
people smuggling last year, working closely with social media
companies.
The UK government is currently running ads on Facebook,
Instagram, and YouTube to counter this content in Vietnam, which
has already reached over 53 million people since the campaign
launched in December. Vietnamese nationals remain among the top
nationality groups crossing the Channel illegally. They accounted
for 17% of small boat arrivals in the first half of 2024,
reducing to 6% in the second half. Further campaigns have
recently been launched in Albania and Kurdistan Region of
Iraq.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame , said:
"People smugglers are always looking for new ways to peddle their
vile trade and we are exposing their lies at every opportunity.
"This government is securing our borders and delivering on our
Plan for Change, dismantling the criminal gangs who abuse our
borders and warning migrants about the risks and realities of
coming to the UK illegally."
Founder and CEO of the Vietnamese Family Partnership,
Quynh Nguyen, said:
“As representatives of the Vietnamese community in the UK, we
support the expansion of the social media campaign on Zalo to
prevent irregular migration.
“Zalo is widely used in Vietnam and introducing adverts on the
channel will help to reach many more vulnerable people to warn
them of migrant smugglers' lies.
“Our community understands the importance of legal routes, and we
are committed to sharing this message with families in Vietnam.
We aim to inform and support our community by highlighting the
dangers of illegal migration and the importance of seeking legal
and safe pathways."
Notes to Editors
