Albania hits back at offshore migrant processing centre plan

Albania hit back at Priti Patel’s plans for Channel migrants to be held in their country as they claimed they would not be a holding hub for “bigger and wealthier” countries.

Albanian officials have been in confidential talks with the UK to set up a processing centre for Channel migrants after the Home Secretary visited the country in the summer to sign an agreement to speed up the deportation of Albanian criminals.

The Nationality and Borders Bill currently before Parliament gives the Government powers to create the first-ever offshore immigration processing centre for asylum seekers.

However, the disclosure of the talks on Sunday prompted a backlash in Albania, forcing senior figures in the Albanian Government to distance themselves from the plans.

Olta Xhacka, Albania’s foreign minister, said: “Albania will proudly host 4,000 Afghan refugees based on its goodwill, but will never be a hub of anti-immigration policies of bigger and richer countries. We have instructed our Embassy in the UK to demand the retraction of this fake news.”

She denied the country had been in negotiations to build a “refugee centre for a third country” although the Telegraph understands officials have been talking about the scheme.

Endri Fuga, spokesman for the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, said: “We cannot fulfil the duty of those who are bigger than us and more wealthy than us.”

‘Albania being treated as a garbage place for the world’

The proposal to create offshore processing centres is seen as a way to deter migrants by denying the chance to remain in the UK while seeking asylum.

They are similar in principle to offshore detention centres that Australia deployed as part of its pushback policies and are now being adopted by Greece and considered by Denmark.

Boris Johnson is said to be keen on the plan after a record 17,000-plus migrants have reached the UK this year, already more than double the 8,420 for the entirety of 2020.

However, the disclosure this weekend prompted a backlash in Albania. A critic on Twitter declared that it was treating Albania as “a garbage place for the world.” 

“Why is Albania the solution if other countries have a problem? What the hell has Albania got to do with this UK problem?”

Another was however suspicious of Albanian denials, commenting: “I am scared maybe the Albanian government has made a hidden deal with the UK. Today saying no, tomorrow will say yes”.

Ms Patel has also sanctioned “pushback” tactics on the part of Border Force in which their officers can stop and turn back migrant boats into French waters where it is deemed safe to do so.

The Bill creates a two-tier system where migrants who arrive illegally will be denied the right to full residency even if they are granted asylum while those who come through legal in-country refugee routes could be fast-tracked for asylum.