LONDON (Reuters) – The British government has embroiled in an unlikely series with ice maker Ben and Jerry’s over its approach to migrants arriving by boat from France, after the market criticized the increasingly bellicose rhetoric.
Migrants prepare remotely at the port of Dover, in Dover, UK 12 August 2020. REUTERS / Matthew Childs
More than 500 migrants have arrived on British beaches in recent days, with many fleeing poverty, persecution or war in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
This has provoked a reaction from the government, which has asked the army to help, urged France to stop the boats at the source, and even appointed a “Clandestine Channel Threat Commander” to lead efforts to prevent crossings .
A frosted Unilever-owned Twitter thread (ULVR.L) Ben and Jerry’s approached Home Secretary Priti Patel, citing several media reports about the plight of those undertaking the dangerous 21-mile crossing into overloaded dinghies.
“Hey @PritiPatel, we think the real crisis is our lack of humanity for people fleeing war, climate change and torture,” tweeted the market’s UK account.
Ben & Jerry’s was acquired by Unilever in 2000 in a unique deal that allows it to operate with more autonomy than other branches.
It uses that freedom to pursue a cultural and social mission that has recently embraced the Black Lives Matter movement. It also supports marriage equality and reform of election campaign finances.
While Patel did not respond directly to the migration thread, fellow minister James Cleverly replied, “Can I please have a large scoop of statistically inaccurate virtue signaling with my grossly too high ice cream?”
He did not say what inaccuracies he was referring to. Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s were not immediately available for comment.
Some of the arrivals have a chance to get asylum, while others, considered illegal economic migrants, are probably not allowed to stay in Britain.
Report by William James in London and Siddharth Cavale in Bengaluru; edited by Stephen Addison
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