Albanian PM accuses UK of bias... putting the fast-track removals bid in jeopardy
A BID to crack down on Albanian small-boat migrants suffered a major setback last night as the country’s prime minister accused the UK of ‘discriminating’ against his people.
Edi Rama, who has been Albania’s leader since 2013, demanded ‘mutual respect’ and said it was ‘insane’ to blame his country for the UK’s immigration and crime woes.
The trigger for his outburst was unclear, but it came 48 hours after Home Secreboats tary Suella Braverman described an ‘ invasion’ of migrants across the Channel.
Mr Rama’s comments appeared to jeopardise a project between the Home Office and Tirana to set up a
‘ fast- track’ removals programme for Albanian migrants.
It came as a poll suggested that nearly six out of ten Britons believe the Government has lost control of our borders.
Home Office sources have previously said Albanian officials ‘couldn’t have been more helpful’ as they launched joint work on tackling a sharp rise in numbers crossing from northern France.
But in a volley of critical remarks published on his personal Twitter account yesterday, the Albanian PM accused the UK of ‘policy failures’ and of ‘punishing’ his people.
‘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,’ Mr Rama wrote.
‘Repeating the same things and expecting different results is insane (ask Einstein!). Albanians in the UK work hard and pay tax. UK should fight the crime gangs of all nationalities and stop discriminating Albanians to excuse policy failures.’
He said when Germany experienced a rise in Albanian migrants, it ‘tightened its own systems’, adding: ‘The UK can and should do the same, not respond with a rhetoric of crime that ends up punishing the innocent.’
The Albanian leader’s remarks indicated a souring of relations over the Channel crisis, after it was confirmed last week that 12,000 Albanians had reached the UK by small
this year. But a Home Office source insisted last night: ‘We are always working closely with our Albanian partners on a range of issues and will continue to do so.’
A ‘rapid removals’ deal with Albania was announced by former home secretary Priti Patel in August. The Home Office said Albanians who claimed asylum here would have their cases processed ‘immediately’ and those with no right to be in the UK would be removed ‘as soon as possible’.
Senior police officers from the Balkan country were due to come to Britain to work alongside UK immigration officials, and officials in Tirana would agree to receive planes at short notice.
Mr Rama’s intervention will raise new questions about the Government’s ability to tackle the migrant crisis, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak admitting yesterday it was a ‘serious and escalating problem’.
A poll of 1,212 people for the GB News channel, published last night, revealed that 58 per cent agreed with the statement, ‘The British Government has lost control of the country’s border.’
They were also asked what should happen to Albanians who arrive here by small boat. Some 61 per cent of respondents said they should be returned to Albania, and only 13 per cent believed they should be allowed to stay, with the remainder not expressing an opinion.