Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what budget was made available for advertising relating to the UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership in the 2022-23 financial year; how much and what proportion of this budget has been spent as on 2 September 2022; and if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of this spending.

Communications support the Department’s work to implement the Nationality and Borders Act, deter the exploitation of people by organised criminal gangs. and explain key policies and provide up-to-date information.

When the Migration and Economic Development Partnership was launched in April 2022, social media posts containing information on the policy were amplified on the Home Office’s social media channels, using a budget of approximately £50,000.

The Home Office also is running a communications campaign outside the UK, which launched in June 2022 (although activity has been temporarily paused as a mark of respect following the passing of Her Majesty The Queen). This campaign provides factual information about the risks of illegal migration, including details on the dangers of illegal travel to the UK by boat, explains what happens if people arrive in the UK from a safe country, including the potential for relocation to Rwanda or another safe third country, and sets out the safe and legal options for coming to the UK.

Currently the Home Office plans to spend up to approximately £100,000 on the migrant communications campaign, and to date approximately £87,159.06 has been spent. However, this campaign is not solely used to publicise the Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership, as its key messages cover the campaign’s objective to inform potential migrants about all the risks of illegal migration, to discourage them from making dangerous Channel crossings.