MP: Albania is a safe country
Today the Prime Minister announced a new plan to address the illegal crossings of the Channel in small boats, with a new focus on returning Albanian claimants to their country. A third of those arriving in small boats are from Albania, which is a safe and prosperous European country, a NATO ally and an aspirant member of the EU. In addition to this new agreement with Albania, the Government will create a unified Small Boats Operational Command and bring in a tougher system of immigration enforcement. Cheaper accommodation sites are also being found, to cut down on the costs of housing people in hotels, and doubling the number of caseworkers and streamlining the process will allow the Government to address the asylum backlog.
John said,
“I welcome the Prime Minister’s announcements today. Though Britain must maintain its proud history of giving people safety and sanctuary from violence and persecution, it is also imperative that we control our borders. This is also fairer to those migrants who stick by the rules and do not come here illegally.”
“Albania is a safe country, and Germany, France, Belgium and Sweden reject almost 100% of Albanian asylum claims – whereas our current rejection rate is just 45%. Even the Albanian Prime Minister has said there is no reason why we can not return Albanian asylum seekers immediately.”
“Finally, increasing the number of caseworkers will address the backlog which has built up recently. Streamlining the process should also significantly cut the time required to process applications, and I look forward to significant improvements.”
