Having a sensible conversation about Migration
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Home Office Marketing and Media strategy
The Context
The politics of migration are inextricably linked to the politics of insecurity. The manifestation of these fears can be complex and disguised; concerns over public services, terrorism, jobs and international trade can all find an outlet in the politics of asylum and immigration. A successful marketing and media strategy therefore can only succeed as part of a broader drive to reassure, inform and, where necessary, challenge. In the modern media and political climate fears about asylum and immigration are lightening conductors for fears about the modern world, terrorism, job losses caused by the vagaries of global trade and the rapid movement of people and money that cheap transport allows. Such fears of course have important implications for community relations and the sense of solidarity or insecurity in many of our communities.
The last year has seen sustained progress in delivery on asylum reform. Applications are significantly down, processing of claims is more efficient, borders are more secure and more illegals are being removed.
Presentationally however this has not delivered a major dividend, reflecting the fact that the progress made was necessary to avert an even bigger political storm, rather than take us effortlessly into calmer waters.
The consensus remains among the British public, particularly those reading national newspapers, that immigration and asylum are 'out of control.' This is deliberately played into a strategy by Conservative supporting media to question the competence and integrity of the Government. Good asylum figures must be 'massaged' and the common refrain is 'we have lost control of our borders.'
Taking this on requires a multifaceted approach across Government which can get to the root of the peoples broader concerns about the modern world. For our part we have to start broadening the discussion and start painting a fuller picture which captures the positive benefits to Britain's economy and prosperity welcoming legal, working migrants.
In doing so we have to highlight the inconsistency of the right who are in favour of global trade and communications but stir up fear about the global labour which inevitably follows trade routes.
To achieve this we need to neutralise asylum by continuing to drive home delivery messages which stress competence and an overall programme of reform which is working.
Media context
Real progress has been made in reducing the media impact of asylum stories so they are no longer automatic front page tabloid material every time. The media largely accept that there has been a sustained fall in claimant numbers; broadcast footage in particular has been transformed from repeated images of people jumping on cross-channel trains to pictures of UK immigration officers refusing people entry to the UK from Calais, helping to communicate an impression of a system more under control.
The TV news coverage of EU accession has also been more positive with interviews with hard-working accession nationals who want to work here or are already here doing a good job.
However the tabloids have responded by moving the goal posts and finding new lines of attack on illegal and managed migration and reinforcing the idea the system is unmanaged and uncontrolled.
This is now a major issue for the Government as a whole. There is increasing concern being raised in the media about abuse of public services, particularly schools and hospitals, no media campaign solely from the Home Office can succeed. The support of DOH, DfES, DWP, ODPM and the Treasury is essential to show that there is not widespread abuse of public services, be it health tourism, preferential housing or benefit fraud.
There is clearly a political narrative here which the Tories are keen to develop. The more they can claim there is abuse of public services the more they can undermine any credit we are getting from the voters for improvement in these services.
The EU accession story is a microcosm of all these issues and will pose the biggest challenge over the next few months. For the tabloids it represents a form of 'uncontrolled immigration'. The Tories also appear to want to open up another front linking asylum and immigration with the EU constitution arguing we will no longer have control of our policy in these areas.
In general the national TV continues to be a balanced medium set against the entrenched politics of the national press.
However asylum and immigration is not necessarily an area where we can rely on the regional printed media to balance things out. Regional and local newspaper coverage is often heavily skewed by a focus on strained local services, perceived local injustices e.g. local housing provision and on the other hand campaigns to prevent particular families being removed. However we have had good regional coverage of enforcement activity against illegal workers and there remain opportunities to get across a more balanced message as evidenced by the very good coverage in Sheffield of the arrival of the first UNHCR refugees
The migration 'narrative'
We have an increasingly positive story to tell in relation to migration. A full narrative of our policy position and latest statistical information is attached at Annex A.
Public Attitude research
Research confirms that immigration is an issue of real concern to people. There are no obvious signs of a breakthrough as a result of what has been achieved so far and little recognition or credit for what the Government has done on asylum.
The strategic communication challenge
The holistic strategy the Government has been putting in place was set out clearly in the White Paper two years ago, but following the increase in asylum applications media coverage and public perception has been very focused on asylum, breaches of controls and abuse of services.
While for some it is based on their direct exposure to the impact of migration, for others it is simply the 'urban myths' that surround it. In a world of rapid change and uncertainty people are fearful and look for explanations and scapegoats. Whilst migration is just one element of change it appears that a disproportionate amount of fear and uncertainty is channelled towards it.
This has made it difficult to generate a wider debate and increase understanding of the potential economic benefits, the improved controls, the reductions in numbers. The big picture is eclipsed by an almost clichéd perception of all immigrants being 'bogus' and 'scroungers' and a real sense that are absolutely no controls and no one taking control. This is an opportunity. We know that most migrants are neither bogus nor scroungers and that migrants actually contribute more than they take. We know that greater control is being exercised; we know there is strong political leadership we also know there is concern about fair and equitable access to services and where services are genuinely scarce (NHS dentists) or perceived to be scarce (the good local school), these will be real flashpoints of concern. The challenge is finding new ways to package and communicate these issues in a way that circumvents the eclipse and makes it easier for people to see the big picture.
To help achieve this we have set ourselves three key communication objectives for the next year:
A marketing approach
Shifting public attitudes on immigration is a huge challenge. It requires a radically different communication approach. Media fire-fighting, whilst important, will not be sufficient, there are too many fires to put out and editorial and public opinion are too entrenched. In effect many parts of the media are party to generating and sustaining the eclipse, the more they are fed with immigration stories the bigger the eclipse becomes and the more the big picture is obscured. We are developing a new communication approach which we believe will give greater impact to the big picture and open the way for a more sensible conversation on immigration. Our new communication approach must therefore overcome a number of significant barriers
Our solution is to take a marketing approach that begins to package the big picture in a way that demonstrates to the public that a concerted and cohesive programme of action is under way to control immigration. This will be coupled with a campaign to broaden the migration conversation and explain why managed migration is important to us as a nation.
The campaign will aim to:
This campaign, which will roll out in July, will use a broad mix of media, including advertising and PR, where appropriate. The aim of the campaign will be to make the big picture much brighter and more visible; we will reduce the impact of the media driven eclipse by ensuring that the action that the Government is taking is seen as a concerted and cohesive programme and that this package of measures is communicated to the public with impact. A key aspect will be to communicate (an) improved basic understanding; explain why we have immigration and what benefits it brings to the nation. With more of the facts available to the public urban myths are countered and media influence reduced and the chances of a 'sensible conversation' are greatly increased. We are still working on the specifics of how the campaign will work - but by way of illustration we are considering the following:
A single branded campaign comprising;
| Activity | Purpose |
| Advertising |
To explain the economic advantages of managed migration in the global context |
| Advertising |
To demonstrate the controls being increasingly applied to migration and make them more visible to the public |
| PR
activity
Highlighting case studies of migrant workers |
To demonstrate that migrants do make a positive contribution to society |
| PR
activity
Highlighting improvements being made to border security and enforcement, will include cutting edge technology and processes, and growing international reputation of our immigration services |
To demonstrate the controls being increasingly applied to migration and make them more visible to the public |
| PR
Activity
Highlighting the presence of controls systems at ports and airports through signage and posters, consider (subject to cost) uniforming of staff at port controls and those undertaking enforcement operations |
To demonstrate the controls being increasingly applied to migration and make them more visible to the public |
| Advocacy
Working increasingly with influential opinion-formers to improve their understanding of migration, and in some cases, to encourage 'trusted voices' to speak about the positive aspects of immigration e.g. Business leaders to talk about the labour market benefits |
To explain the economic advantages of managed migration in the global context |
| On
line campaign site
Reviewing the information available to the public about migration, the controls and benefits etc |
To
demonstrate that controls are increasingly being applied to migration
and make them more visible to the public
To explain the economic advantages of managed migration in the global context |
| Positive
images of asylum seekers
Continue work already underway by providing branded communication and tool kits for use at local level by local authorities and other support services |
To explain the human context of asylum To demonstrate that controls are increasingly being applied to migration and make them more visible to the public |
| Staff
communication
A range of communication to encourage and motivate IND staff and help them be ambassadors for the work they do |
To demonstrate that controls are increasingly being applied to migration and make them more visible to the public To explain the economic advantages of managed migration in the global context To explain the human context of asylum |
Media handling strategy
Our media strategy needs to recognise that our biggest wins are likely to be with broadcast media as they have been with asylum. Over the next few months we need to set the agenda on EU enlargement putting it in a wider global context and putting human faces on the contributions that migrants have made - this won't enable us to win over the Express, but it could win the argument on the BBC. However it is vital that there is a buy-in to this across Government to deal with the wider issues of abuse of public services.
Immigration is a policy area where we need to recruit more trusted third party endorsers who are prepared to stand up and support aspects of policy. There are many pressure groups ranged against Government policy and few who are prepared to join Ministers in presenting an alternative view. This need for trusted other voices is increasingly important when we know that trust in politicians and government generally is declining. There is also the opportunity to get more balanced coverage at local level with human interest stories. Continued local media access to enforcement operations, examples of how migrants are filling vital jobs in some areas, and, through the UNHCR gateway protection scheme, an opportunity to increase understanding of, and sympathy towards, refugees. Although the argument won't be won on numbers we need a consistent message in this area (see attached script).
The risk is that this is consistently undermined by a series of population and migration publications and revisions from ONS.
Finally we need to continue the momentum on asylum and illegal immigration publicising successes on removals and tougher border controls.
Milestones and events
Managed migration
Strategy for managed migration includes both opportunities to get across positive messages about the benefits of migration and opportunities to stress how it is being managed and abuse tackled
1 April
New measures to tackle abuse of student and marriage visas
Key message: Managing migration by stopping abuse of the immigration system
Handling: This announcement will help to put us back on the front foot following publication of the Sutton Report with new measures to tackle abuse of student and marriage visas. We will emphasise how we are proactively raiding sham marriages already, reinforced by pictures of such a raid in action.
1 May
EU enlargement
Key Message: Bringing hard workers to the UK to fill skills gap. Stopping abuse of benefits
Handling: David Hill is chairing a new cross Government group to pull together a coordinated strategy to get on the front foot in advance of May 1, including -
6/7 May
Home Secretary visit to Scotland
Key Message: Managed migration is helping to boost Scotland's declining ageing population
Handling: Reinforce positive messages about the benefits of EU enlargement with visit focused on the need for workers and the contribution accession nationals have already made in Scotland
July
Launch of managed migration information campaign.
Key Message: Properly managed migration is vital to Britain's economic and social interests
Handling: This will be denounced as 'spin' by the tabloids. Our launch strategy will focus on positive broadcast and regional coverage using examples of the positive contribution of migrants.
Asylum and illegal immigration
Here we need to continue the momentum on reform of the system with the new Bill, particularly on removals. Demonstrate continued action to tackle illegal immigration more broadly through the continued export of border controls and measures to tackle illegal working and help the integration of genuine refugees through the new UNHCR programme.
March
First UNHCR refugees arrive under the new programme
Key Message: Legal route for genuine refugees cutting out the people traffickers
Handling: Handling has been locally led and relatively low key. We have provided extensive background on the conditions faced by the refugees in Africa to media to increase understanding and sympathy of why they need help
April/May
Remaining stages of Asylum Bill
Key Message: Building on success of earlier reforms to tackle abuse and the barriers to increasing removals.
May
Visit by Chinese Premier
Handling: China is seen as a symbol of our inability to remove people. An agreement with the Chinese would be a sign of real progress on this agenda. If no progress is made on this visit the tabloids are likely to be particularly critical
May
New returns agreements signed with Pakistan and DRC
Key Message: Systematically tackling the barriers to removal
May 25
Asylum statistics
Key Message: Continuing to reduce the number of asylum applications, doing more to increase removals
July
Report of the review of Immigration Service enforcement activity
Key Message: Ensuring we are effectively targeting resources to tackle illegal working and remove failed asylum seekers
August
Opening new removal centre near Heathrow
Key Message: Expanding detention space to increase the number of removals
On-going
Publicising immigration enforcement operations
Key Message: Tackling illegal working
Handling: Set up local media access to illegal working operations which have received some very positive local media coverage in recent months
Integration and Citizenship
The messages on integration for refugees, new citizens, migrants in general must reinforce the wider strategy of showing how Britain is benefiting from the contribution of migrants.
May
Pilot areas for new citizenship and English classes
Key Message: New citizens must have sufficient English to contribute to our society
July
Refugee integration strategy
Key Message: Integrating genuine refugees to help them work and contribute and play a full role in our society.
Updated 'Life in the UK' handbook published
Key Message: Helping migrants to understand life in the UK to be able to contribute and play a full role in our society
Numbers
The constant proliferation of different numbers and statistics is contributing to a public debate in which no-one believes any of the statistics. If we want people to have any confidence that the system is under control then the number of population and immigration bulletins must be rationalised to provide a regular comprehensive and comprehensible update.
Bulletins currently scheduled for publication this year so far, not including potential revisions;
May 25
Asylum statistics Q1 2004
Asylum statistics 2003
Persons granted British Citizenship 2003
July 7
Travel trends data from May 2004 (could include EU accession data)
July/August
GAD publish reference volume with most complete documentation and migration assumptions used in population projections
August 2004
ONS publish 2003 mid-year population estimates
Asylum stats (Q2 and final 2003 volume)
Control of immigration statistics
ONS publish sub-national population projections
October/November
ONS publish international migration estimates 2003
ONS publish travel trends 2003
November 2004
Asylum stats Q 3
Control of immigration statistics 2003
ANNEXE A
The Migration narrative
We are putting in place a controlled system to ensure migration is managed in Britain's best interests..
The Government is strengthening border controls to stop illegal immigration and halve the number of asylum seekers, while allowing those migrants with useful skills we need to work here. Evidence here, and in other countries is that sensibly managed migration brings the skills, innovation and enterprise that will help to ensure the UK continues to have the most successful economy in Europe…
Migrants overall are more than paying their way - they contribute £2.5billion more to our economy than they use in services like the NHS and their contribution is 15% of projected economic growth
Significant progress on stopping abuse of asylum system as the result of tough reforms
Asylum applications have been halved: removals increased to record levels, the backlog at the lowest for a decade and 80% of new applications processed within two months
This a direct result of tough reforms including moving border controls to France and radical legislation to stop benefits for those who do not claim quickly and sending home quickly those from safe countries
Measures to halve asylum seekers are also stopping illegal immigration more generally ..
We have stepped up security at the Channel Tunnel, closed Sangatte, put UK immigration officers on French soil to stop people travelling to the UK and high tech screening equipment is being deployed in France, Belgium and the Netherlands to stop people hiding in lorries.
Do not underestimate what more is left to do on asylum, particularly with regards to removal …majority of asylum seekers have no documents making it difficult to return them when claims fail…this is why we are systematically working to overcome the obstacles with the penalties in the new Bill for people who destroy their documents; more returns, agreements and negotiations with other countries, expanding detention space and extending the use of fingerprints as a secure identifier …but - previous reforms to the rest of the system were also radical, controversial and essential and they have worked
However overall levels of net immigration are relatively small .. In 2003 foreign citizens accounted for only 4.8% of the UK's population, most were from Europe.. net migration is projected to increase the UK population by about 100,000 per annum, although this accounts for the majority of population growth it is still less than an increase of 0.2% of the total population per year..but the population is not projected to increase indefinitely, both overall population levels and people of working age are expected to peak and then decline in about 25 years.
Our overall approach will help to manage these issues.. continuing to tackle modern day slave trade for illegal working with harsh penalties, more enforcement and working against the organised criminals behind it.
Better integrating legal migrants to ensure they speak English and with ceremonies for new citizens to encourage integration, welcome them to their local communities and ensure people understand their rights and responsibilities in the UK… continuing proud tradition of helping genuine refugees with new UNHCR resettlement scheme and working internationally to help more refugees closer to regions of origin..our approach to EU accession has been to take a tough approach to benefits and the use of public services, whilst welcoming genuine workers.
Note
The political parts of this paper were provided by Special Advisers.
'Positive spin' for migrants sparks row
| 23 May 2004 | Sunday Times | HTML |