The government will fast-track the removal of Albanian asylum seekers from the UK in an attempt to tackle the backlog of claims, Rishi Sunak has announced.
Speaking in the Commons, the prime minister said Home Office workers will be embedded at Tirana airport to work with local authorities to disrupt organised crime gangs.
He also said new guidance will be issued to designate Albania as a “safe” country.
Also, migrants coming to the UK will be housed in former student accommodation blocks, disused military sites and holiday parks, instead of hotels.
The PM announced five key points to his plan:
“The solution shouldn’t just be what works, but what is right,” said Mr Sunak. “It is unfair people come here illegally.”
He added: “Enough is enough”.
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The announcement comes after a year of record-breaking numbers of people making dangerous Channel crossings in small boats to get to the UK, with the figure thought to have exceeded 43,000.
The government has made a specific point about the rise in Albanians coming into the country via the route, saying they accounted for more than a third of the 33,000 who crossed in the first nine months of 2022, compared to 3% of all those who crossed in 2021.
It also comes amid criticism of the Home Office over the speed in which they process asylum cases.
Figures from the department in September showed more than 143,000 asylum seekers were still waiting for decisions, and nearly 100,000 of those had been waiting for more than six months – over three times higher than in 2019.
