Sunday Times: Albanians receive £1,200 for voluntary returns from Britain
NEWS
Express newspaper
25/08/2025 23:49
British newspaper Sunday Times has published a report on the returns of Albanians from the UK to Albania, which highlights that many of them choose to return voluntarily, taking advantage of a British government scheme. Under this scheme, returning citizens receive 1.200 pounds.
The article brings up the case of Ardit Shehu, a 32-year-old from Kukës, who, after his asylum application was rejected, returned to his homeland. He describes Britain as “finished”, highlighting the difficulties of life for immigrants there.
According to Sunday Times, the agreement between British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Albanian counterpart Edi Rama in 2022 has brought a major drop in illegal immigration. Britain has deported over 13.000 Albanians, three times more than in the 2010s, while arrivals by small boats have fallen by 95%.
Albanian Interior Minister Ervin Hoxha has described the cooperation with London as a “success story” and expressed that Albania is grateful for this support.
Meanwhile, the former head of a British project to prevent immigration, Edval Zoto, has said that the agreement was not used for political purposes by Tirana, but mainly to maintain good relations with Britain./Albinfo