Following the landmark joint communiqué between the Prime
Ministers of Albania and the UK on tackling illegal migration,
operational teams in the UK and Albania have intensified
operational work to address illegal migration, particularly the
small boat crossings in the English Channel.
The UK and Albanian authorities have been working together to
make it more difficult for illegal migrants to arrive and stay in
the UK. Since the communiqué was agreed, new figures show that
over 1,000 Albanian nationals have been returned to Albania. This
figure is a combination of failed asylum seekers, foreign
national offenders and voluntary returns and covers the period
from agreement of the joint communiqué on 13 December up to the
first week in April.
UK and Albanian operational teams have set up a joint migration
task force, which serves as the main gateway to coordinate
specialised operational measures and actions to manage illegal
migration of Albanian citizens to the UK.
These include reinforced checks on free movement criteria at all
border crossing points across the country, increased
verifications on Albanian citizens who are found to be illegally
in the territory of the UK, and exchange of senior-level police
officers in both countries.
Head of the Albanian Border and Migration Police, Saimir
Boshnjaku, said:
We are working hand in hand with our British colleagues under the
joint migration task force to prevent irregular migration to the
UK and related crimes.
The Border and Migration Police urges all citizens to follow the
legal way of migration and assures that all persons breaking the
law will face the consequences.
UK Director General of Immigration Enforcement, Tony Eastaugh,
said:
These numbers are evidence that our partnership with the
government of Albania to speed up the removal of those with no
legal right to be in the UK is working.
As we intensify this activity further, Albanian nationals who
enter the UK illegally and have no right to be here should be
under no illusion that we will remove them as quickly as
possible.
In 2022, there were 1,888 returns of Albanian nationals, of which
954 (51%) were enforced returns and 934 (49%) were voluntary
returns. The number of voluntary returns is 90% higher than in
2021 (492). This is a new and encouraging trend, which we have
seen continue into 2023. Already in 2023, from January to March,
795 Albanian nationals have been returned. Of these, 389 (49%)
were enforced returns and 406 (51%) were voluntary
returns. These operations are expected to intensify further
in the upcoming months.
The Border and Migration Police of Albania and the UK Home Office
are determined to put a stop to illegal migration which
seriously impedes the prosperity and safety of citizens and
enables criminality, exploitation and other forms of illegality.
The UK’s latest illegal migration statistics, published this
morning (Monday 24 April) and covering a range of nationalities,
also show that:
- enforcement visits conducted between January and March 2023
have increased since the same period last year (a 53% rise, from
2,111 to 3,228)
- as at 31 March 2023, the number of legacy cases in the asylum
initial decision backlog was 11% lower than as at 31 December
2022
- the number of asylum decision-makers has increased since July
last year. As at 1 March 2023, there were 1,281 asylum decision
makers, 48% higher than on 1 July 2022 (when there were 865)
