Wednesday 2 November 2022 01:16 PM How 12,000 Albanians have reached the UK this year trends now
Ministers claim modern slavery laws are providing a 'loophole' for thousands of asylum seekers from Albania who are 'exploiting the law' to remain in Britain.
More than 12,000 Albanians have arrived in the UK so far this year - around 10,000 of whom are understood to be young single men. Out of those who claim asylum, only 12 per cent are successful - one of the lowest rates of any nationality.
However, the number of Albanian migrants claiming to be victims of modern slavery is set to double this year to 5,000. Out of 4,171 modern slavery victims who were referred to the Home Office in the second quarter of the year, 27 per cent were Albanian - the highest of any nationality.
The Modern Slavery Act was introduced by Theresa May in 2015 when she was home secretary to protect victims of people trafficking gangs, but ministers it is severely flawed. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick told the Telegraph that Albanians were 'abusing' the act and delaying deportation attempts.
One of the issues with the legislation, critics say, is its open definition of what constitutes modern slavery. Arrivals can successfully claim asylum just by saying they are victims of slavery, even with no supporting evidence.
The journey Albanians take to the UK often begins in poorer areas like the city of Kukes in the north east of the country. Human traffickers charge between £3,500 and £15,000 per person and advertise their services on TikTok, with dozens of videos showing Albanians making the crossing.
A World Bank report states that after strong GDP growth last year, the proportion of the population living in poverty in Albania 'dropped significantly' from 31 per cent to 22 per cent in 2021. Unemployment, however, remains high in the north and salaries average just £442 a month.
'If you go to a secondary school in northern Albania and children are asked to describe how they see their future, all the boys draw a lorry or a boat with an Albanian flag going to the UK,' said Muhamed Veliu, a political correspondent with Top Channel TV in Albania.
'They know how well their relatives are doing – they get employment in the UK and are settled. They think, ''Why should we waste our time in northern Albania not doing anything? Let's go to the UK, work and come back with a flashy car like others who went before us.'' '
It is understood that people without a criminal record tend to fly to Brussels, while others drive in vans through Serbia, Hungary, Germany and France. Albanians have enjoyed visa-free travel with the EU since 2010, making this journey far easier.
Arrivals in France typically camp in Calais before waiting to board a small boat, while people who go through Belgium embark near the port of Nieuwpoort in Flanders.
Last week, Border Force clandestine threat commander Dan O'Mahoney said Albanian gangs have gained a foothold in the north of France and dramatically ramped up the number of crossings they are carrying out.
So far this year, between one and two percent of the entire adult male population of Albania have travelled to the UK in small boats, he said.
Smuggling gangs have become increasingly sophisticated, with some sourcing boats made to order by factories in China with extra tube sections inserted to
