Albanian Channel migrants plead to go back home claiming to be ‘victims of TikTok’

Country’s ambassador says adverts on the social media platform deceived people into believing they would have a better life in the UK

Migrants are brought into Dungeness beach after crossing the Channel
Migrants arriving at Dungeness beach after crossing the Channel Credit: PA

Albanian Channel migrants are pleading to go back home after being conned by TikTok adverts into believing they will have a better life, the country’s ambassador has revealed.

Qirjako Qirko, the Albanian ambassador in London, said that in the past month the embassy had issued travel documents to 300 of his citizens who claimed to be “victims of TikTok” and wanted to go back home.

He told MPs on the home affairs committee that they had thought it would be easy to set up businesses but given up within weeks to seek “laisser passer” documents from the embassy to return to Albania.

At least 12,000 Albanian migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year, accounting for some 30 per cent of the record 44,000 small boat arrivals.

Mr Qirko said: “The number of laisser passer [documents] this month is 300. Some of them explained: ‘We are victims of TikTok and Facebook. We have come here because we thought it’s easy to start a business.’

“Yesterday I was talking with a gentleman from the south of Albania who was running a small bar in the city of Vlore. He told me he saw on TikTok there was some opportunity to open this kind of business in the UK. But after three weeks, he said: ‘I saw that this is not possible to have those kinds of business so I’m coming back home’.”

He indicated that law enforcement agencies in Albania had mounted investigations into people smugglers who primarily use TikTok to advertise boat journeys across the Channel, including special offers for children, families and the disabled.

However, he said the government could not control social media platforms. “We can’t control opinions, [we are a] free country, we can’t control TikTok or Facebook,” he told MPs.

Qirjako Qirko
Albanian Ambassador Qirjako Qirko addressing the home affairs committee at the Houses of Parliament

His comments follow an appeal by a Channel migrant deported last month to Albania who urged his fellow countrymen not to make the same journey, warning that he faced “an unimaginable terror” on the dangerous journey which left him thousands of pounds in debt.

Mr Qirko admitted some Albanians were pretending to be victims of modern slavery to avoid deportation from the UK as he said his government would be willing to take back Albanians claiming to be trafficking victims.

A record 3,467 Albanians have claimed to be modern slavery victims so far this year, nearly 1,000 more than the 2,547 for the whole of 2021, and ahead of any other nationality including Britons.

“The problem is that it seems that the people that are arriving here from my country…and they pretend to be a victim of modern slavery,” he said.

Asked by Tory MP Tim Loughton if Albanians claiming to be victims of modern slavery would be safer in Albania than the UK, Mr Qirko replied: “Yes.”

Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, is considering fast-track deportation of Albanian migrants claiming modern slavery and asylum, with the possibility that they could be denied the right to apply for both on the basis that they have come from a safe NATO country seeking accession to the EU.

Asked if the UK should not have to recognise any asylum claims from Albanian nationals, the Albanian ambassador said it was up to the British authorities to decide. “It is not my problem,” he said.

However, he urged the UK Government to consider a legal work visa route to the UK for Albanian migrants to help combat illegal migration and people-smuggling gangs.

When asked if Albania should make a financial contribution to the UK for housing Albanian migrants, the ambassador responded: “No. It is not the responsibility of the Albanian government.”

Mr Qirko also called for an end to the “campaign of discrimination” against Albanians living in the UK, saying it had even led to children being bullied. “I would like to take this opportunity to ask that this campaign of discrimination against Albanians living here in the UK should stop,” he said.

 A Home Office spokesman said: “We value our Albanian community in the UK, and continue to welcome Albanians who travel to the UK legally and contribute significantly to British society.  

“However, this year we are seeing large numbers of Albanians risking their lives and making dangerous and unnecessary journeys to the UK through illegal means, and this is placing further strain on our asylum system. 

“Working closely with the Government of Albania, we are taking every opportunity to intercept the work of organised criminal gangs and people smugglers, and speeding up the removal of Albanians with no right to be in the UK.” 

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