Britain says it’s talking with some countries to set up migrant return hubs

TIRANA, Albania — Britain is currently in talks with several countries to serve as host nations for asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected, announced U.K. Prime Minister on Thursday.

During a visit to Albania, Prime Minister Kier Starmer expressed his support for the concept of “return hubs,” stating that it could be a more effective approach in handling irregular migration. Although specific countries were not mentioned, he emphasized the significance of this new strategy.

Albania had previously entered a five-year agreement with Italy, allowing for the potential accommodation of up to 36,000 migrants annually while their asylum requests were expedited. However, challenges in Italian courts have hindered the success of this arrangement.

In a recent development, Italian authorities transferred 40 individuals to Albania who were denied asylum in Italy. This marked the first instance of a European Union country deporting rejected asylum seekers to a non-EU nation that was not part of their transit route.

While the U.K.’s previous plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda was abolished by Starmer, the current proposal involves sending failed asylum seekers to a third country for deportation to prevent delays caused by legal maneuvers.

Migration expert Meghan Benton highlighted the differences between various European programs aimed at addressing irregular migration, pointing out the legal and ethical distinctions between them.

Furthermore, Starmer’s visit to Albania also focused on collaborative efforts to reduce the influx of Albanian migrants attempting to reach the UK, with plans to establish similar task forces in Western Balkan countries.

While the number of Albanian migrants crossing the English Channel has declined significantly, overall migrant crossings via small boats have increased in the past year.