TIRANA – The U.K. is in discussions with various nations to establish locations for housing rejected asylum seekers pending their deportation, as announced by the British prime minister on Thursday.

During a visit to Albania, Prime Minister Kier Starmer highlighted that the idea of a return hub was a significant innovation aimed at managing migrant entries more effectively. However, he did not reveal which countries were being considered or provide further specifics.

Albania currently has a five-year deal with Italy to accommodate up to 36,000 migrants each year while their asylum applications are processed rapidly in Rome. According to the agreement, Italy will reclaim any migrants whose applications are denied, with potential repatriation expected. The agreement excludes children and pregnant women from being sent to Albania.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said the agreement with Italy was a “one off” issue and that Tirana had turned down several requests for the same deals with other countries.

The British prime minister said a joint task force with Albania has helped significantly reduce the number of Albanian migrants trying to reach the UK. He added that his government is in talks with Western Balkan countries to set up similar task forces, aiming to cut through the tangle of bureaucracy that hinders progress in reducing migrant arrivals.

The number of Albanians crossing the English Channel in unsafe inflatable rafts in search of higher-paying jobs has dropped from 12,000 in 2022 to some 600 in 2024.

“Quite an incredible reduction,” Starmer said at a news conference with Rama. “And I think it’s a signal and an example of what can be done when two countries work together in this way.”

Top British officials in 2022 called Albanians’ arrivals “an invasion,” sparking a diplomatic spat. Rama had called that a “crazy narrative” and an attempt to cover up for the U.K.’s failed border policies. Albanians cannot seek asylum status in the U.K., which considers Albania to be a safe country.

In the same year, London and Tirana signed an agreement to return Albanians arriving on boats in the U.K. London also has funded projects, especially in northeastern Albania where most of the illegal newcomers were from.

Rama pledged to continue the partnership with Britain on discouraging migrant arrivals from Albania.

Starmer’s visit to Albania is the first by a British prime minister. He will also take part at Friday’s summit of the European Political Community in Tirana, a forum that gathers European leaders with the aim of boosting security and prosperity across the continent.

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