Albania PM Edi Rama tells UK: Channel crossings are your problem …

Britain is suffering a "nervous breakdown" over its failure to get a grip on immigration, Albania's prime minister[1] has said. Speaking at the Delphi economic forum in Greece, Edi Rama said Britain[2] was in a "bad, bad place" - so its ministers have tried to blame Albania for its Channel migration crisis. "They are in such a bad place the poor Brits that they have to go after Albanians[3] to feel like they have the muscle still," said Mr Rama during an interview at the forum.

"No problem. We have a great respect for Britain and for what Britain represents and for the British history and culture, so we will bear with them until they have overcome this situation[4]. "We used to think in terms of: 'Wow!

The Brits are talking evil about us.' So what? It is not our problem. It is their problem[5]." Asked by the interviewer whether it could become Albania's problem if another country spoke that way about its citizens[6], Mr Rama replied: "We have fought against it and now we see they have calmed down a bit.

"But they are going through something of a nervous breakdown as a country so we have to understand them. "It is not something we can't understand. We have to understand them.

They have lost a lot of points of reference and they are really in a bad, bad place."

'Broken' asylum system

Ministers have admitted the UK's asylum system is "broken"[7]. The backlog of cases has hit a record high of nearly 140,000, of which more than 50,000 are being housed in hotels at a cost of nearly GBP7 million a day. Britain has, however, signed two major agreements with the country in the past year to try to stem the surge in Channel crossings[8] by Albanians, who last year accounted for around a third of the 45,755 migrants who reached the UK in small boats.

However, Mr Rama said relations between the two countries sank to a "very low moment" at the end of last year after Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary[10], branded Albanian migrants as criminals.

She also said many were "abusing" the UK's modern slavery laws. "I forgive the Brits because they are in such a bad place[11]," said Mr Rama, who has called on Britain to adopt a similar approach to migration as other EU nations such as Germany. Germany has set up work visa schemes for Albanians arriving for specific jobs, while those who enter illegally are deported.

The UK Government has so far resisted such proposals, arguing that it already has a points-based system[12] that allows EU and other citizens to come to the UK to work. The agreements set up fast-track deportation schemes for Channel migrants from Albania and the return of foreign offenders. Albanian police have also joined Border Force[13] officers in Dover, while British police and Border Force have officers in Albania.

The number of Albanians crossing the Channel has substantially tailed off since autumn last year.

Just 29 Albanians reached the UK on small boats in the first three months of this year.

References

1. ^ Albania's prime minister (www.telegraph.co.uk)
2. ^ Edi Rama said Britain (www.telegraph.co.uk)
3. ^ go after Albanians (www.telegraph.co.uk)
4. ^ overcome this situation (www.telegraph.co.uk)
5. ^ It is their problem (www.telegraph.co.uk)
6. ^ spoke that way about its citizens (www.telegraph.co.uk)
7. ^ UK's asylum system is "broken" (www.telegraph.co.uk)
8. ^ surge in Channel crossings (www.telegraph.co.uk)
9. ^ 0803 albanians crossing channel (cf-particle-html.eip.telegraph.co.uk)
10. ^ Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary (www.telegraph.co.uk)
11. ^ they are in such a bad place (www.telegraph.co.uk)
12. ^ points-based system (www.telegraph.co.uk)
13. ^ have also joined Border Force (www.telegraph.co.uk)