Report: Albanian Prisoners Paid by UK Govt to Return Home

Facts

• According to the BBC — which spoke to Albanian prisoners sent home by the UK — the government allegedly offered some £1.5K ($1.8K) to leave the country.¹
• Albanian police stated that a majority of those forcibly sent back to Albania had already been convicted of crimes in the UK.²
• More than 1K Albanians have been moved back to their mother country after the UK reached an agreement with Tirana in December 2022.³
• The UK Home Office has stated that out of the 1K returning to Albania, approximately half were voluntary, while the other half were failed asylum seekers and foreign offenders.⁴
• Many of the prisoners have been sent back before their term in UK prison finished. The UK Home Office did not reveal to the BBC how many Albanians had been given money to return home under what is called the "Facilitated Return Scheme."⁵
• The UK government describes the scheme as a “financial incentive," although the forced removal to Albania does not forbid an individual’s potential return. Some Albanians spoken to by the BBC state that they would attempt to return to the UK in weeks, or even days.⁶

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²Express.co.uk, ³AMP, ⁴Daily, ⁵Euronews Albania, and ⁶Vox.

Narratives

• Right narrative, as provided by Conservative Home. Sunak’s scheme to challenge the Albanian migration crisis is a good start, and the policy clearly matches the majority opinion of the government. However, short of France allowing Britain to patrol its beaches, the real answer to stopping the boats coming to the UK coast has yet to be found.
• Left narrative, as provided by Guardian. The demonization of Albanian asylum seekers by the UK government is utterly inhumane. For many who have sought refuge in the UK, the toxic narrative and treatment by those in power have been just as traumatic. The unacceptable mistreatment of Albanians by the UK government must end.