The Hungarian government is launching an information campaign combating illegal immigration. During the Government’s short but focused campaign (which will use the services of international advertising agency J. Walter Thompson), announcements in given local languages will be placed in leading newspapers in countries of origin and transit countries most associated with illegal migration. The information campaign will also feature billboards, flyers and a multilingual online platform.

The Hungarian government’s announcements will draw attention to the legislative changes tabled for adoption in the fight against illegal immigration. Furthermore, they will emphasise that Hungary – in compliance with international and EU legal commitments and humanitarian norms – will deal equitably with all refugees entering the country legally; however, all migrants entering the country illegally will be subjected to the full rigour of the legal procedures available to the Government.

So far this year similar campaigns focusing on Kosovo have been launched by Austria and Germany, also with the involvement of international advertising agencies. As a result of the German campaign, the number of applications from Kosovo has decreased considerably.
That campaign was prepared by the media agency Carat, part of the Dentsu-Aegis Network, which was not subjected to a deliberate and unjustified smear campaign of the kind which has now been launched against J. Walter Thompson.

The Hungarian government’s expectations for its public awareness campaign are similar to those of the abovementioned precedents. As in the earlier German, Austrian – and indeed Danish – campaigns, its purpose and messages are not insulting, but informative. In addition to a significant decrease in the pressures on Hungary from illegal migration, the Government also expects the campaign to send a clear deterrent message to the most inhuman facilitators of illegal migration: criminal groups which profit from the smuggling of migrants.

(Prime Minister's Office)