I don’t know who’s behind the @UKhomeoffice twitter account, but I really think they need to revisit their social media strategy. This is just tasteless and downright fucking nasty:
As is the headline they’ve used in the piece they’ve linked to:
Stowaways’ sweet escape foiled by border officials.
Yeah, let’s all have a laugh at the expense of “would-be illegal immigrants” eh?
Or better still, let’s not.
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Last time they UKBA pulled something like this, it ended up in the Guardian Diary section. I may have had something to do with this… Might’ve sent them this one too.
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They are usually called ‘corporate communications’ Cath. They inhabit a different space (and posher accents) than the worker drones. And boy do they love da social networking. It’s modern! and new! Just accept it!
(but don’t let that stop you ‘sharing’ it Anne, after all what is the social networking stuff about?).
Happy birthday, Cath! xoxo
Thanks Valerie
Yes, that does, er – leave a sour taste in the mouth.
As someone whose business, from time to time has been seriously disrupted by staff in the UKBA, these supposedly humorous comments are I think a reflection of the quasi independence the agency has from it’s paymaster, the Home Office. And while I think the strategy, to belittle illegal immigrants and employers who employ them is wrong, the way organised criminals attempt to get round the immigration rules, does mean there is a great deal of disruption and disappointment to many of those who are legitimately seeking visas to enter the UK for work, study and even holidays.