"Go Home" vans

Controversial UK government policy May 2024The "Go Home" vans were part of a controversial 2013 advertising campaign by the British Home Office during Theresa May's tenure as Home Secretary in which advertising vans with slogans recommending that illegal immigrants should "GO HOME OR FACE ARREST" were sent to tour areas with high immigrant populations. The hypothesis of the operation was that people who did not have leave to remain would voluntarily depart if "a near and present" danger, such as being arrested, was made apparent.https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/26/theresa-may-go-home-vans-operation-vaken-ukip Why was the scheme behind May's 'Go Home' vans called Operation Vaken? Hattenstone Simon 2018-04-26 The Guardian 2018-04-30 The pilot programme, which had the internal codename 'Operation Vaken', ran in the six London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Hounslow, and Redbridgehttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/operation-vaken-evaluation-report Operation Vaken: evaluation report GOV.UK en 2018-04-30 31 October 2013 from 22 July to 22 August 2013, and was part of the Home Office hostile environment policy.https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/19/theresa-may-was-not-opposed-to-go-home-vans-official-accounts-suggest May was not opposed to 'go home' vans, official accounts suggest Elgot Jessica 2018-04-19 The Guardian 2018-04-30 In October 2013, the evaluation report stated that 60 voluntary departures were believed to be directly related to 'Operation Vaken' and 65 more cases were "currently being progressed to departure." The posters on the vans depicted a person with a Home Office badge holding out a pair of handcuffs, under the message: In the UK illegally? Go home or face arrest. Text HOME to 78070 for free advice, and help with travel documents. We can help you to return home voluntarily without fear of arrest or detention.Travis Alan Billboards in the UK Tell Illegal Immigrants 'Go Home Or Face Arrest' https://www.businessinsider.com/billboards-in-the-uk-tell-illegal-immigrants-go-home-or-face-arrest-2013-7 4 August 2022 Business Insider The campaign was cancelled after a public outcry against it.https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/oct/31/go-home-vans-11-leave-britain 'Go home' vans resulted in 11 people leaving Britain, says report Travis Alan 2013-10-31 The Guardian 2018-04-30 An August 2013 Yougov poll found that 55% of British adults supported the scheme and 35% opposed it.https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2013/08/13/support-go-home-immigration-van-increases Support for 'go home' immigration vans increases | YouGov British politicians including Nick Clegg, Vince Cable and Eric Pickles expressed concerns about the campaign.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10230436/Pickles-questions-go-home-or-face-arrest-campaign.html Pickles questions 'go home or face arrest' campaign Swinford Steven 2013-08-08 2018-04-30 0307-1235 Nigel Farage described the tone of the advertisements, which he saw as an attempt by the government to be seen to be "doing something" to appeal to UKIP voters, as "unpleasant".https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23450438 'Go home' posters are nasty - Farage 2013-07-25 BBC News 2018-04-30 Yvette Cooper compared the slogans on the vans with slogans used by the National Front in the 1970shttps://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/sep/25/tory-immigration-language-national-front-yvette-cooper Tory immigration language 'like National Front of 1970s' Alan Travis 25 September 2013 The Guardian and the campaign was described by Diane Abbott as an example of dog-whistle politics,https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/governments-go-home-vans-backed-by-immigration-minister-mark-harper-8889358.html https://web.archive.org/web/20131018144127/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/governments-go-home-vans-backed-by-immigration-minister-mark-harper-8889358.html 2013-10-18 subscription live Government's 'Go home' vans backed by Immigration Minister Mark Harper The Independent 2018-06-07 James Legge 18 October 2013 stating that "It is not so much dog-whistle politics as an entire brass band ... It is akin to scrawling 'Paki go home' on the side of buildings. I don't believe this policy is going to achieve anything besides stoking fear and resentment."https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/jul/26/go-home-ad-campaign-court-challenge 'Go home' ad campaign targeting illegal immigrants faces court challenge Taylor Matthew Gidda Mirren 2013-07-26 The Guardian 2018-06-07 Syal Rajeev When questioned about the vans on The Rest is Politics in 2024 by Alastair Campbell, Theresa May who had held the ministerial responsibility, responded that "The vans were wrong. We should not have done the vans."My Biggest Regret Theresa May 4 October 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Q5__rx67M 2023-12-29 en See also Illegal immigration to the United Kingdom Racism in the UK Conservative Party References Category:2013 in British politics Category:Advertising campaigns Category:History of immigration to the United Kingdom Category:British political phrases (2000–present) Category:Articles with quotation marks in the title