The Home Office plans to launch an advertising campaign aimed at dissuading Albanians from illegally crossing the English Channel to reach the UK. The campaign, starting in Albania next week, emphasises that those making the journey “face being detained and removed” and sets out the dangers illegal immigrants may encounter on small boats. Previous adverts in Albanian on Facebook and Instagram were launched last August to deter Albanian citizens from attempting the crossing. The UK government considers Albania a “safe and prosperous country” and views travellers from the nation making “spurious asylum claims” by crossing numerous countries to reach the UK.
The opposition Labour Party criticised the Conservative government’s efforts to tackle illegal immigration, with Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stating that such attempts have failed “at every turn”. Conservative MPs have urged the government to address the issue of human traffickers using small boats to ferry illegal immigrants into the UK. The Home Office confirmed a drop in Albanian small boat arrivals below 2021 levels, indicating some success from its partnership with Albanian authorities. However, concerns about “modern slavery” claims remain, with more than half of such claims from illegal immigrants who crossed the Channel in H1 2022 being made by Albanians.