1,000 Albanians Returned from Britain Since Deal to Curb Migration

The Albanian and British authorities said on Tuesday in a joint statement that since December last year, 1,000 Albanian nationals have been returned to their home country - "a combination of failed asylum seekers, foreign national offenders and voluntary returns".

The two countries signed an agreement in December to tackle the issue of illegal migration through a joint task force, declaring that their law enforcement agencies would work together in fighting organised crime and illegal emigration.

"The UK and Albanian authorities have been working together to make it more difficult for illegal migrants to arrive and stay in the UK. Since the communiqué was agreed, new figures show that over 1,000 Albanian nationals have been returned to Albania," the joint statement said.

The figure "covers the period from agreement of the joint communiqué on 13 December up to the first week in April", it added.

Since the start of this year, some 15,000 Albanians have crossed the English Channel, which divides France from the UK, out of a total of 44,000 migrants arriving by boat.

The boat crossings have become a huge political issue in the UK, where the government is under pressure to do more to tackle illegal migration and organised crime.

In March the UK government proposed new legislation dubbed the 'Stop the Boats' bill, intended to crack down on illegal migration, in many cases by Albanians using small boats to cross the English Channel from France.

The government claims the new bill will make it easier for the UK authorities to detain and deport people who arrive illegally. However, concerns have been raised that it could prove ineffective or treat human trafficking victims and unaccompanied children unfairly.

In March,...