Kate Middleton a Romanian in Disguise? UK Anti-Immigration Campaign Mocked by Gandul Website
Beautiful women and cheap beer among joys of Romania in campaign to break Whitehall stereotypes
Proposals by Whitehall to scare off potential Eastern European immigrants moving to the UK has sparked a jokey campaign by an online newspaper in Romania.
Instead of closing the doors to British visitors, as the UK government is considering for migrants from Romania and Bulgaria, Bucharest-based Gandul.info has thrown them wide open.
"We might not like Britain, but you will love Romania," the campaign slogan reads. "Why don't you come over?"
"Half of our women look like Kate. The other half like her sister," says an advertising banner in the series.
"Our draft beer is less expensive than your bottled water," claims another.
"We don't have a congestion charge here. We believe the congestion is punishment enough," reads a third.
Gandul's campaign was launched after British government ministers were said to be considering running a negative public information campaign to discourage immigration from Romania and Bulgaria.
"It is a bit disconcerting to see yet another piece of news that builds on the idea that Romanians are the No 1 problem on the agenda," Gandul's campaign creative director Mihai Gongu told media outfit RFLRE.
"We felt we owe it to the tens of thousands of decent tax-paying Romanians who live in the UK and the millions at home to do something about it."
On December 31, 2013, restrictions on the number of Romanians and Bulgarians allowed into the UK will be lifted and authorities have warned that a major influx of immigrants will follow.
Ministers said that adverts focusing on the downside of life in the UK would "correct the impression that the streets here are paved with gold".
The Guardian asked its readers to come up with spoof slogans for the British campaign. Most of them denigrated British politics and the weather.
"Come here and clean the loo. Britain is full of horrible jobs we employ foreigners to do. You are welcome," one slogan reads.
READ: Kate and Pippa Middleton Vs Romania's Beauties [PHOTOS]
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.
