Social media influencers to be paid to discourage migrants from crossing English Channel
The Home Office believes TikTok is often used by people smugglers to advertise cross-Channel migration
Shortlisted influencers currently include TikTok stars in Albania, Iraq, Egypt and Vietnam, with plans to include others from Turkiye and India
Updated 14 February 2024
Arab News
LONDON: The British government has announced plans to pay social media influencers to post content that deters migrants from crossing the English Channel.
TikTok celebrities in countries from which migrants to the UK often originate will receive thousands of pounds to “engage prospective migrants” and promote new immigration laws, including the threat of deportation to Rwanda, The Times reported.
The idea was put before Downing Street by Cass Horowitz, the social media adviser behind Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s PR campaign, “Brand Rishi.”
Part of a £1 million advertising blitz, the plan was proposed in the wake of a ban on the UK government’s use of TikTok, which prevents the Home Office from using the platform. The ban was introduced last year due to security concerns about the Chinese-founded firm.
The Home Office believes TikTok is “vital” to target potential migrants as the video-sharing platform is often used by people smugglers to advertise cross-Channel migration.
A Home Office spokesman said in a statement: “People smugglers frequently use social media to peddle lies and promote their criminal activities and it is vital that we utilize the same platforms to inform migrants about the truths about crossing the Channel and coming to the UK illegally.”
Shortlisted influencers currently include TikTok stars in Albania, Iraq, Egypt and Vietnam, with plans to include more in Turkiye and India.
The Home Office has contracted Multicultural Marketing Consultancy to find candidates. The firm said that the seven celebrities it had proposed were “popular culture opinion-formers who are well-placed to disseminate key messages on TikTok about the reasons to remain in country, risks to crossings (and) the legislation that applies if you arrive in the UK.”
The English Channel has been a route into the UK for small migrant boats since 2018. In 2022, some 46,000 people were discovered crossing the Channel aboard inflatable dinghies, but the number declined in the first half of 2023 to about 11,500 boats, according to the Migration Observatory.
Gems of Arabia magazine launched to spotlight talents shaping Saudi Arabia’s evolving cultural landscape
The publication features established and emerging talents elevating the region across design, fashion, art, tech, music, architecture and media
Saudi fashion designer Hatem Alakeel seeks to highlight the richness of the Kingdom, and wider modern Arab culture to global audiences
Updated 15 January 2026
Sherouk Zakaria
DUBAI: When Saudi fashion designer Hatem Alakeel interviewed Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud before her appointment as Saudi ambassador to the US, the longtime advocate of women’s empowerment made a powerful prediction: “I look forward to the day that the Saudi woman is no longer the story but rather a phenomenal achievement.”
That moment would become the foundation for Gems of Arabia, an arts and culture audio-visual podcast that spotlights the creative talents shaping the landscape of Saudi Arabia and the broader region.
Over six years, Gems of Arabia has documented the sweeping transformation of the Kingdom’s art and culture scene, and is now evolving into a full-fledged magazine.
Hatem Alakeel is a Saudi fashion designer. (Supplied)
“It started off as a column I used to write, and from there, it turned into a podcast. Now it is growing into a magazine,” Dubai-based Alakeel, the magazine’s founder and editor-in-chief, told Arab News ahead of the launch of the digital publication on Thursday.
Besides spotlighting celebrated regional artists, Alakeel said Gems of Arabia is in search of the “hidden gems” elevating the region across design, fashion, art, tech, music, architecture and media.
The magazine serves as a platform for talented, authentic creatives and tech entrepreneurs unable to articulate their work “because they don’t have the public relations or capacity to promote themselves even through social media.”
Alakeel added: “Our job is to identify all these authentic people; you don’t have to be famous, you just have to be authentic, and have a great story to tell.”
The digital publication offers a dynamic blend of short-form podcasts, coverage of regional cultural events, in-depth features and editorials, long-form interviews and artist profiles — spotlighting both celebrated and emerging talents. This is complemented by social media vox pops and bite-sized coverage of art events across the region.
Alakeel, who also runs Authenticite, a consulting and creative production agency connecting creators and brands who want to understand Saudi culture, said the magazine content is “carefully curated” to feature topics and personalities that resonate in the region.
What differentiates Gems of Arabia, he said, is its story of continuity and substance amassed over the years that has captured the evolution of the wider regional landscape.
“The website represents an archive of nearly 150 articles compiled through years of podcasts and long-form conversations that show continuity and depth changes,” he said.
“So, it’s an evolution and it’s another home for all our content and our community.”
Growing up in France, Alakeel said his mission started early on when he felt the need to represent his Saudi culture “in a way where it can hold its own internationally.”
Through his first brand, Toby, he sought to bring the traditional thobe into modern designs and introduce it to the luxury fashion world. This mission was accomplished when his thobe designs were placed alongside global labels such as Harvey Nichols, Dolce & Gabbana and Prada.
What began as a personal design mission would soon expand into a broader platform to champion Saudi talent.
“I was articulating my culture through fashion and it just felt natural to do that through the incredible people that the region has,” Alakeel said, adding that the magazine aims to highlight the richness of the Kingdom, and wider modern Arab culture to global audiences.
“Art is such a great way of learning about a culture and a country,” he said.
On the ground in Saudi Arabia, the publication hosts GEMS Forum, a series of live cultural gatherings that bring together prominent artistic figures for in-depth conversations later transformed into podcast episodes recorded with a live audience.
Alakeel said the print edition of Gems of Arabia will debut in March, designed as a collectible coffee-table quarterly distributed across the Gulf.
He envisions the platform growing into a long-term cultural record.
“It's a Saudi-centric magazine, but the idea is to make it inclusive to the region and everyone authentic has a seat at the table,” said Alakeel.
