On Monday, the Albanian Ministry for Foreign Affairs summoned UK Ambassador Alastair King-Smith to lodge a verbal protest over British Minister of State for Immigration Robert Jenrick’s comments “with discriminatory language about Albanians.”
The Ministry asserted that “such repeated rhetoric violates the positive spirit of bilateral cooperation” between the two countries, adding that it “requests the avoidance of this language of hatred and discrimination and the continuation of dialogue and constructive cooperation.”
We are working around the clock to remove illegal Albanian migrants and foreign national offenders.
— Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) January 13, 2023
Yesterday I visited an immigration removal centre to witness our weekly removal flights to Albania and thank staff for their crucial work to enforce our borders and keep us safe. pic.twitter.com/b8SPvTtVZ2
Jenrick’s Comments
While visiting a migrant detention centre on Friday, Jenrick lauded a “crucial” job being done by British staff “working round the clock to find the Albanians, to detain them, to put them onto coaches, to take them to the airport and get them back to Tirana.”
“Not only are these illegal migrants, some of whom have crossed the [English] Channel in small boats, gaming the system, but others are dangerous criminals who have been convicted of drug offences, of county lines,” he added in a video published on Twitter.
Xhaçka Slams Jenrick
On Sunday, Albanian Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Olta Xhaçka expressed her shock at Jenrick’s remarks, calling it a “verbal lynching of a whole nation in language that sounds like the Minister is declaring open season on Albanians.”
Xhaçka further pointed out that Jenrick’s comments came weeks after Albanian PM Edi Rama and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak had signed a joint communique last month.
3/3...& its significant contribution to the culture,economy & society of both countries.
— Olta Xhaçka🇦🇱 (@xhacka_olta) January 14, 2023
A shameful singling out of a community from a minister of a great democracy that brings back horrifying memories with an unbearable brutality!
UK-Albania Joint Communique
During PM Rama’s visit to the UK last month, the UK and Albania signed a joint communique “to enhance cooperation” in security issues and home affairs with the main focus on the fight against organised crime and illegal immigration, economic growth and investment, and innovation, youth and education.
“The UK recognises Albania as a safe country of origin under UK law,” the statement noted.
In 2022, over 10,000 Albanians arrived in the UK on small boats by crossing the English Channel to seek asylum, accounting for nearly a quarter of the total 45,000 illegal migrants. The UK received only a few dozen Albanian asylum-seekers in 2020, thus British officials have attributed the significant increase in 2022 to a rise in organised crime by Albanians working as migrant smugglers in northern France.