Preoccupation with image is symptomatic for inferiority complex. As Omar Khayyam wrote about 800 years ago: "if a wine is good and not diluted, there is no need to praise it". Ditto here: if and when they take care of the underlying reality [which admittedly is more difficult than image manipulation], the image will take care of itself, and they will become a magnet for illegal immigration.
It's obvious you did not read the article.