The UK will begin talks on sending failed asylum seekers to “return hubs” in third countries while they await deportation, Keir Starmer has said.
The Prime Minister was speaking during a visit to Albania aimed at forging closer co-operation on tackling migration.
Mr Starmer said the hubs were for people who have "been through the system in the UK, they need to be returned and we have to make sure they’re returned effectively”. He acknowledged the plan was not a “silver bullet” for Britain’s migration problems, which have led to the rise of the populist Reform party.
“By putting it all together – arrests, seizures, agreements with other countries, returning people who shouldn’t be here, and return hubs, if we can through these talks add to our armoury, it will allow us to bear down on this vile trade and to make sure that we stop those people crossing the Channel,” he said.
However, Albania Prime Minister Edi Rama told Mr Starmer that his country would not be hosting any return hubs, meaning attention turns to neighbouring countries such as Serbia, Bosnia and North Macedonia.
The return hubs would be aimed at failed asylum seekers who are seeking to frustrate efforts to deport them, or who have lost their paperwork. By removing them to another country, the government hopes to reduce their ability to find other reasons to prevent deportation, such as starting a family.
It is also expected to act as a deterrent to further crossings, but differs from the previous government’s Rwanda scheme as it would only apply to failed asylum seekers who have exhausted their avenues for appeal.
Net migration to the UK stood at more than 750,000 in 2024. Data for last year shows refugees from the Middle East and North Africa being rejected at the highest rate in years as the UK battles to clear a backlog of asylum seekers living in hotels.
In the first official visit to Tirana by a British prime minister, Mr Starmer and his Albanian counterpart also discussed how to combat organised crime, which has been driving the small boat crossings to the UK. This week, the number of people to have crossed the Channel in small boats passed 12,000 for the year.
Labour was elected on a manifesto promise to “smash the gangs” smuggling people into the UK in small boats, but 12,699 people have made the journey so far this year, putting 2025 on course to be a record year for crossings. But Downing Street said the number of Albanians making the crossing had fallen by 95 per cent in the past three years, while the number returned to Albania had doubled between 2022 and 2024 following increased co-operation between the two countries.
After a spike in numbers in 2022, the UK and Albania struck a deal to work together to prevent people from making the journey, with both the current Labour government and the previous Conservative one providing Tirana with money and expertise. Last year, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggested Mr Starmer had also been “very interested” in a deal under which Italy has sent migrants to Albania for processing.
The talks are expected to include measures to support efforts to ensure migrants remain in Albania after being returned home rather than attempting to enter the UK again – the “revolving door effect”. The UK will also donate two forgery detection machines to help Albanian police spot people trying to travel to the UK on stolen or fake passports.
An expansion of the Joint Migration Task Force to include North Macedonia and Montenegro is also planned. The task force, which currently includes the UK, Albania and Kosovo, shares intelligence and carries out operations against people smugglers in the western Balkans.
There will also be an increase in co-operation on tackling organised crime, including sharing DNA swabs of Albanian criminals and investing £1 million in upgrading Albania's forensics, biometrics and digital capability.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein
By Fiona Sampson
Profile
Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
