Albanian ambassador attacks UK right wing for ‘unhinged’ fixation with 2022 migrant surge
Summary
The Albanian ambassador to the UK, Uran Ferizi, said that the attention on the 2022 surge of Albanian migrants arriving in small boats is exaggerated and outdated. He highlighted that the increase was brief and involved a small part of overall UK immigration, and criticized some UK politicians and media for continuing to focus negatively on Albanians.Key Facts
- In 2022, over 12,000 Albanians crossed the English Channel to the UK, mostly in small boats.
- This number was a sharp increase but made up about 1% of all long-term immigrants to the UK that year.
- The number of arrivals dropped quickly after 2022, and many of those migrants have since left the UK.
- Albanian visa approval rates have been about 65.5%, lower than around 90% for other Balkan countries, with many applications refused.
- The ambassador suggests that harder visa rules may have pushed some Albanians towards illegal travel via people smugglers.
- Ferizi accused the right-wing UK media and politicians, including Reform UK and the Daily Telegraph, of unfairly blaming Albanians and making negative claims without fully considering the facts.
- He noted that crime rates among Albanians in the UK are often exaggerated when not adjusted for age and other factors.
- Ferizi called on UK politicians to focus more on issues like youth unemployment instead of targeting Albanians.
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