Albania owes an apology to the UK over the destructive role it is playing in the Channel migrant crisis, a British MP has said.
Tim Loughton, Conservative MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, told The National that the influx of people from the Balkan nation has clearly “overwhelmed the system” and he called for a tougher approach from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's administration.
The number of Albanians crossing the Channel in small boats has increased by more than 1400 per cent year-on-year, despite the European nation being considered a safe country.
‘Weak’ defence from Albania
Mr Sunak and the Home Secretary have repeatedly singled out Albanians while making pledges to crack down on illegal immigration, with Suella Braverman pointing the finger at the nation for its citizens making spurious claims that they are victims of modern slavery.
Qirjako Qirko, the Balkan country’s ambassador to the UK, hit back, telling The National that he would like to see politicians apologise for the “negative propaganda against Albanians”.
But Mr Loughton said that rather than criticise the UK for its handling of the spiralling migrant crisis, Mr Qirko would do better to offer an apology for his country’s role in it.
“I thought he gave very weak evidence,” Mr Loughton said of Mr Qirko’s recent appearance before the Home Affairs Select Committee in the British Parliament. “He made some rather injudicious complaints about the British government and Britain discriminating against Albanians.
“If I were the Albanian ambassador, I would not be criticising the UK for saying we need to do something particular about this surge in Albanians coming here, I would be apologising that this country has become the destination of choice for rather a lot of Albanians.
“It’s absolutely right they should be singled out because they [accounted for] over 50 per cent in the height of the summer of the nationalities of those coming across the Channel — disproportionate. So clearly, we need to do something about it.”
The Prime Minister last week used his first speech of 2023 to say stake his premiership on addressing five challenges, one of them illegal migration.
But Mr Loughton said his ability to stamp out the illegal practice rests largely on France, which he believes is punishing the UK for Brexit.
A fresh agreement between London and Paris is long overdue, he argued, in which French authorities would arrest anyone caught trying to cross the Channel illegally.
Currently, only suspected people smugglers are being detained when groups make a bid to depart beaches in northern France. The system means Mr Sunak simply “cannot guarantee” the boats will stop, Mr Loughton said.
‘Albania should get its own house in order’
In 2021, about 800 Albanians made the crossing, a figure which shot up to 12,000 last year.
Up to 2 per cent of the adult male population of Albania crossed the Channel in small boats in 2022, according to the Home Office.
Mr Loughton said the staggering data should cause alarm bells to go off in Tirana.
“That should be a serious cause for worry for the Albanian government,” he said. “Why are so many people trying to leave Albania?
“Albania has got some clear problems that it needs to sort out itself. It needs to look to put its own house in order before it starts criticising us. And to claim that it’s not really their problem — well, it is their problem.”
He was referring to Mr Qirko’s comments during an appearance before MPs in December. Asked if he would support any move by the UK government to introduce a blanket ban on asylum claims from Albanians, the ambassador acknowledged it is a “safe country” but said “it’s not my problem” to determine British migration rules.
Asylum claims lodged by Albanians are not recognised as legitimate by several EU countries such as France, Germany and Sweden.
The Eastern European nation of 2.8 million is a popular travel destination for Britons and travellers from other nations. Tour operators promote the country, which borders Greece, Montenegro, Kosovo and North Macedonia, as an “ideal destination” for those seeking hiking and sun holidays.
The country also has its eyes on future EU membership, having been granted candidate status from the bloc in 2014.
Mr Loughton called on No 10 to adopt a no-nonsense approach to illegal migrants from Albania and follow the lead of other European powers.
“We should not be accepting any asylum applications from Albania, other than in extreme circumstances,” he said. “We are way too soft on Albania.”
Mr Sunak in December announced a new agreement with Albania aimed at speeding up the return of migrants to their home country. The pact will lead to British Border Force agents being stationed at Tirana airport for the first time ever.
New laws needed to prevent migrants ‘gaming the system’
The thousands of Albanians and others claiming to be victims of modern-day slavery is only one element of Britain’s migrant crisis.
The debate over whether the rules should be changed to give asylum applicants the right to work drags on.
The Lift the Ban coalition, made up of more than 200 non-profit organisations, think tanks, businesses, trade unions and faith groups, is exerting pressure on the Conservative government to change the rules. They argue their research suggested the economy could grow by £97.8 million per year if the policy was altered.
Under the current law, people awaiting the outcome of an asylum claim can apply to work only after a year. Some MPs want the threshold lowered to six months, a move they say would plug gaps in the labour market.
Mr Loughton was last year among a handful of Tories who in April 2022 voted in favour of a parliamentary bid to change the rules, which failed to pass.
He argued the current system creates a loophole in which applicants, including Albanians, are “disappearing into the black labour market” and working under the radar for years on end.
“If we have very clear and legitimate activities that are allowed after a certain time, then it should make it easier for us to clamp down on those who are working in the black market and who are here completely illegitimately and don’t have a case to stay,” he said.
“I don’t think it will be a magnet, I think if anything it will make it much easier to differentiate between those who are here legitimately … and those who frankly never had a credible claim for asylum in the UK anyway and who are trying to game the system effectively.”
UK coastguard responds to migrant emergency in the Channel — in pictures
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Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
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*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
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What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.
“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.
“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
“Operators must undergo proper training and certification to ensure safety and compliance.
“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”
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