(Photo credit: Gareth Fuller/PA Images)
This year the number of Albanian migrants seeking asylum in the UK has increased by 93 per cent as compared to the last year.
The number went up to 11,241 in just the first nine months. Whereas in 2021, 800 Albanians crossed the English Channel, the home affairs committee revealed.
The immigration officer of the UK, Robert Jenrick recently appeared in an interview with GB News where he said Albanians should be barred from claiming asylum in the UK as they are coming from a ”demonstrably safe” country.
”Albania is a demonstrably safe country. It is very hard to see how an Albanian should be able to successfully claim asylum here in the UK”, he said.
”We can’t have a million people entering the country in a single year and net migration of half a million – it’s just not sustainable”, Jenrick added.
UK received 24,102 visa applications from Albanian nationals in the first nine months, out of which only 325 were for work visas as per the to data released by the home affairs committee on October 26, 2022.
The director of clandestine channel threat command, Dan O’Mahoney during the home affairs committee conference said: “The rise has been exponential and we think that is in the main due to the fact that Albanian criminal gangs have gained a foothold in the north of France.”
Whereas, in the home affairs committee conference held on Wednesday in the UK parliament, Albanian ambassador, Qirjako Qirko told the MPs that some Albanian migrants come to the UK to seek out business opportunities.
Qirko further told the MPs that his government has no information about the rise in Albanian migrants in the UK.
“I can say that Albania is a safe country, but the direct answer is it’s up to the British authority to decide it,” he said.
“I cannot discuss this issue because it’s not my problem”, Qirko added.
Last month, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama criticised the UK government for blaming Albanians for crossing the English Channel.
In a series of tweets he wrote, “Targeting Albanians (as some shamefully did when fighting for Brexit) as the cause of Britain’s crime and border problems makes for easy rhetoric but ignores hard facts”.
“Repeating the same things and expecting different results is insane (ask Einstein!)”, Rama added.
Targeting Albanians (as some shamefully did when fighting for Brexit) as the cause of Britain’s crime and border problems makes for easy rhetoric but ignores hard fact. Repeating the same things and expecting different results is insane (ask Einstein!)
— Edi Rama (@ediramaal) November 2, 2022
He further wrote, “70 per cent of the 140,000 Albanians who have moved to the UK were living in Italy and Greece.1200 of them are Business people. Albanians in the UK work hard and pay tax. UK should fight the crime gangs of all nationalities and stop discriminating v Albanians to excuse policy failures.”
70% of the 140,000 Albanians who have moved to the UK were living in Italy and Greece.1200 of them are Business people. Albanians in the UK work hard and pay tax. UK should fight the crime gangs of all nationalities and stop discriminating v Albanians to excuse policy failures.
— Edi Rama (@ediramaal) November 2, 2022
“Albania is a NATO country & is negotiating its EU membership. It is also a safe country of origin. When Germany had a similar problem it tightened its own systems. The UK can and should do the same not respond with a rhetoric of crime that ends up punishing the innocent.”
Albania is a NATO country & is negotiating its EU membership. It is also a safe country of origin. When Germany had a similar problem it tightened its own systems. The UK can and should do the same not respond with a rhetoric of crime that ends up punishing the innocent.
— Edi Rama (@ediramaal) November 2, 2022
Last week UK’s Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak held his first meeting with Rama to regulate the migration of Albanians and they mutually agreed to control illegal migration and prevent crime.