[Terpelaziun] Minister of Immigration (June 17)

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

Mr. Speaker,

This enquiry is for the Minister of Immigration.

I have been reviewing many of the recent immigration applications with particular focus on the area reporting how the applicant discovered us. How is the Ministry establishing a direct connection between advertising and immigration applications? And what other efforts are being taken to bolster immigration?

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I'm not sure we could established a direct link; this is inference.  For example, we resumed active promotion and advertising this month, and we've seen another boom in active immigrant applications -- just like last time.

We have enacted many of the Royal Commission's recommendations.  For example, we have revived the TalossAssistant program, garnering half a dozen volunteers for the program.  After sending out an email notice, we have that number will go up even higher, but we're already very happy at that result.

The TalossAssistant program was once a featured part of our immigration program, and we think there's a good chance that it will offer the personal touch that we might be needing.

We are also going to be offering El Pretz Pätriotic del Seneschal, which three citizens will be claiming.  We hope that an actual physical award will be an active encouragement for future recruitment because Talossans will have the chance to wear their decoration at any live meeting or recorded video, and that will confer some prestige and attention on the practice of recruiting your friends.  This was another recommendation by the Commission.

We have redesigned the New Citizen's Guide, with some consultation with the Secretary of State, and we plan to begin distributing it to all new citizens.  This will offer than a further chance to get involved by giving them different things they can do, but it will avoid feeling overwhelming because it will have a short list of possible priorities for them.  Many options, but a few clear suggestions.

We have made several video advertisements for different aspects of the country which may be viewed by the world and occasionally re-used for promotional efforts.  These things will continue paying dividends for years, drawing in the curious.

I plan to do more, featuring other aspects of our country.  And these have been posted to many places, along with other posts on places like Reddit (/r/damninteresting or /r/dataisbeautiful, etc) which encourage people to check out different aspects of our country.  My next plan is to make another one which focuses on our language, and His Majesty has promised a short video clip I can use as B-roll for one about him.

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

I'm not sure we could established a direct link; this is inference.  For example, we resumed active promotion and advertising this month, and we've seen another boom in active immigrant applications -- just like last time.

We have enacted many of the Royal Commission's recommendations.  For example, we have revived the TalossAssistant program, garnering half a dozen volunteers for the program.  After sending out an email notice, we have that number will go up even higher, but we're already very happy at that result.

The TalossAssistant program was once a featured part of our immigration program, and we think there's a good chance that it will offer the personal touch that we might be needing.

We are also going to be offering El Pretz Pätriotic del Seneschal, which three citizens will be claiming.  We hope that an actual physical award will be an active encouragement for future recruitment because Talossans will have the chance to wear their decoration at any live meeting or recorded video, and that will confer some prestige and attention on the practice of recruiting your friends.  This was another recommendation by the Commission.

We have redesigned the New Citizen's Guide, with some consultation with the Secretary of State, and we plan to begin distributing it to all new citizens.  This will offer than a further chance to get involved by giving them different things they can do, but it will avoid feeling overwhelming because it will have a short list of possible priorities for them.  Many options, but a few clear suggestions.

We have made several video advertisements for different aspects of the country which may be viewed by the world and occasionally re-used for promotional efforts.  These things will continue paying dividends for years, drawing in the curious.

I plan to do more, featuring other aspects of our country.  And these have been posted to many places, along with other posts on places like Reddit (/r/damninteresting or /r/dataisbeautiful, etc) which encourage people to check out different aspects of our country.  My next plan is to make another one which focuses on our language, and His Majesty has promised a short video clip I can use as B-roll for one about him.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for his reply. As I mentioned I have been reviewing the applications and see no direct or indirect references to the government's videos being a source of this recent spike or previous spikes in applications. With respect to the TalossAssistant program, yours truly, was the last participant (by direct request) in February to successfully shepherd an applicant through the process.

Related to that fact, Mr. Speaker, if I might be allowed a supplemental question. When does the Ministry expect to start assigning new TalossAssistants?

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Oh, I agree with the MZ that there's been very little direct reference, which is why I noted that this was instead a pretty basic inference.  We posted some videos and did some promotion, and we got a big boom in successful applications, then we didn't do that for two months and we had a big slump.  Now we've resumed our promotional efforts and we've got another big boom on our hands.  It might be a coincidence, but that's a remarkable coincidence.  I think it admirably demonstrates the hypothesis.

As I said at the beginning of the month:

Catching back up on this, we've had no successful applications recently!  Some of this is probably the two week gap when the immigration form wasn't working, but also we're seeing a huge number of people who just aren't proceeding on to making an account on Wittenberg, as well as people who have not made posts once they get here.  What the numbers suggest to me are a lower level of engagement generally, which maybe has to do with the fact that we have done almost no promotion during April or May.

My prediction is that we're going to see that change over the next month again.  We'll see: either I'll be right and we'll do a lot better, or I'm going to be eating a lot of crow as my hypothesis falls flat!  Copy this down and remember it, to hold me accountable, folks!

As to when we will begin assigning TalossAssistants, probably reasonably soon.  We just sent out the recruitment email for it yesterday.

I regret to inform MC Tzaracomprada that he will be ineligible to participate in the program at this point.  Currently, we are looking for Talossans of good character, and MC Tzaracomprada was condemned by the Ziu for sexual harassment, making him unsuitable for the program.

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

Oh, I agree with the MZ that there's been very little direct reference, which is why I noted that this was instead a pretty basic inference.  We posted some videos and did some promotion, and we got a big boom in successful applications, then we didn't do that for two months and we had a big slump.  Now we've resumed our promotional efforts and we've got another big boom on our hands.  It might be a coincidence, but that's a remarkable coincidence.  I think it admirably demonstrates the hypothesis.

As I said at the beginning of the month:

Catching back up on this, we've had no successful applications recently!  Some of this is probably the two week gap when the immigration form wasn't working, but also we're seeing a huge number of people who just aren't proceeding on to making an account on Wittenberg, as well as people who have not made posts once they get here.  What the numbers suggest to me are a lower level of engagement generally, which maybe has to do with the fact that we have done almost no promotion during April or May.

My prediction is that we're going to see that change over the next month again.  We'll see: either I'll be right and we'll do a lot better, or I'm going to be eating a lot of crow as my hypothesis falls flat!  Copy this down and remember it, to hold me accountable, folks!

As to when we will begin assigning TalossAssistants, probably reasonably soon.  We just sent out the recruitment email for it yesterday.

I regret to inform MC Tzaracomprada that he will be ineligible to participate in the program at this point.  Currently, we are looking for Talossans of good character, and MC Tzaracomprada was condemned by the Ziu for sexual harassment, making him unsuitable for the program.

I  remain glad to have served the Kingdom as the most recent example of a successful TalossAssistant. It took months of urging by the Green Party and most of the new recruits appear to be members of your own party but I am nevertheless glad you got around to giving the program the attention it deserves.

Mr. Speaker, forgive me if I can ask one final supplemental question. What is reasonably soon with regards to assignments? A week?