Nationwide poster campaign aims to 'celebrate, not vilify' immigrants

Billboards will highlight how migrants are 'contributing to British life'

A mock-up of one of the proposed posters (MAX)

Amid a climate of xenophobia as we head towards the general election, a campaign has been launched to celebrate the positive effects migrants have on our everyday lives through a series of posters and billboards.

The Movement Against Xenophobia has so far raised £15,000 of the £44,000 it needs to put the plan into action, with posters set to feature the words 'I am an immigrant' followed by a variety of job descriptions from real migrants working in the UK.

'I am a brain surgeon, I have saved 2000 lives,' one reads. 'I am a Tube driver, I take millions of people to work every week' says another.

The actual posters will be created by a Vogue photographer (MAX)

(MAX)

"The poster campaign is a response to the increased anti-immigration rhetoric occurring in politics and the need to shed positive light on immigrants and the social, economic and cultural prosperity they bring to the nation," MAX explain on Crowdfunder.

"It ... aims to rid the dialogue on immigration policy of racism and discrimination. With the 2015 General Election, the language and the rhetoric will only get worse."

The group plans to select fifteen migrants, including a few celebrities, from different occupations such as health service professionals, teachers, cleaners, Tube/bus drivers, business entrepreneurs, journalists and lawyers. They will then be photographed by Vogue photographer Philip Volkers.

It says £44,000 is the bare minimum it needs to create a nationwide poster campaign, which would be distributed on all London Underground and National Rail stations.