Starmer’s immigration plans dealt surprise blow by Albania
Keir Starmer’s plans to “take back control” of immigration rules in the UK were dealt a fresh blow after Albania’s prime minister ruled out hosting failed asylum seekers, a proposal widely seen as acting as a deterrent to illegal migration.
In a visit to the capital city Tirana, Starmer was told by Albania’s Edi Rama that the Balkan country would not become a “return hub” where failed asylum seekers are held in detention centres on behalf of other nations.
Comments made by Rama came in the same week Starmer unveiled a white paper on immigration detailing plans to curb net migration and on the same day he claimed the government was negotiating migration deals with several countries.
Italy has struck a deal with Albania over setting up “return hubs” but the Albanian prime minister said no further agreements would be made with other partners.
“I have been very clear since day one when we started this process with Italy that this was a one-off with Italy because of our very close relation but also because of the geographical situation, which makes a lot of sense,” he said.
“We have been asked by several countries if we are open to it and we said no because we are loyal to the marriage with Italy.”
Possible cost of Starmer’s plans
Giorgia Meloni’s government has sent dozens of failed asylum seekers awaiting deportation to Albania but it has faced legal challenges.
Its deal with Albania is projected to cost around £564m over a five-year period, according to official estimates.
The previous Conservative government’s Rwanda scheme, which intended to send asylum seekers to the African state while their claims were processed, cost £700m, home secretary Yvette Cooper claimed last year.
The scheme never resulted in illegal migrants being removed from Britain, with years of legal disputes going as far as reaching the Supreme Court delaying its implementation.
Starmer argued the Rwanda scheme was a “gimmick” and did not act as a deterrent to illegal migration.
He said plans to relocate those who have not been granted refugee status in the UK in return hubs would help the government “make sure that we stop those people crossing the Channel” in an interview with GB News.
Some 1,183 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this week, with numbers putting 2025 on course to be a record year for small boat crossings.
Government expenditure on asylum hotels could also reach £15bn, three times as much as previously estimated by the Home Office.
Countries being considered for “return hubs” include Serbia, Bosnia and North Macedonia, according to a report in The Times, which also said the UN’s refugee agency has endorsed the plans.
It was previously reported that Albania could be one destination for deported migrants.
An immigration deal with any country could also cost the UK government hundreds of millions of pounds if recent patterns seen in Italy and in Britain repeat themselves.
Such a scenario may add an extra strain on public finances, with leading City economists claiming Chancellor Reeves’ small headroom of just under £10bn could already have been wiped out.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said the trip was an “embarrassment” for the prime minister.
“Starmer jetted off and now the Albanian prime minister has made clear that there will be no UK return hubs in Albania. So, what was the point of this entire visit?”