Albanian Prime Minister Criticizes UK Home Secretary for Asylum Comments

Post by : Raina Nasser

Edi Rama, the Prime Minister of Albania, has vehemently criticized Shabana Mahmood, the UK Home Secretary, over what he describes as “ethnic stereotyping” following her comments about Albanian families during her announcement of significant changes to the UK’s asylum framework.

The uproar arose after Mahmood, while addressing Parliament, mentioned that approximately 700 Albanian families were “living in taxpayer-funded housing after failing their asylum applications.” She cited these families as part of her initiative to overhaul an asylum system she deemed “unfair and out of control.”

Mahmood detailed that these reforms will render refugee status temporary, prolong the permanent settlement wait from five to 20 years, and permit the expulsion of families with children lacking residency rights. She also indicated potential legal pathways to the UK and an annual cap on asylum seeker numbers, while stressing that individuals with unsuccessful asylum claims must be removed “irrespective of their background.”

Taking to social media, Rama characterized Mahmood’s remarks as a “negligible statistic amid the myriad challenges facing post-Brexit Britain,” warning that targeting Albanian families exemplifies perilous demagoguery. He pointed out that Albanians actively contribute to the British economy and that those relying on UK welfare are few when compared to other demographics.

The Prime Minister underscored that the UK and Albania have fostered one of Europe’s most effective partnerships regarding illegal migration since they formalized a returns agreement in 2022, leading to the deportation of over 13,000 individuals from the UK to Albania. Rama admonished Mahmood for jeopardizing this partnership and for perpetuating populist narratives against Albanians.

Rama has had previous disagreements with UK officials about the treatment of Albanian citizens. Earlier this year, he declined to allow the establishment of UK “return hubs” for unsuccessful asylum seekers from other nations and accused several political figures, including Nigel Farage, of disseminating misleading statistics and stigmatizing Albanians.

He concluded by asserting that UK policies must not be influenced by ethnic stereotypes, underscoring that “this is the bare minimum humanity expects from great Great Britain.”

This latest exchange highlights the broader discussions surrounding asylum reforms in the UK and the treatment of migrants, revealing ongoing conflicts between the UK and Albania over migration and diplomatic matters.