Written Evidence submitted by Dr Andi Hoxhaj (Lecturer in Law, University College London) ASY005

Supplementary written evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee, December 2022

1. Statistics and population of Albania

• Albania has a population of 2.8 million people, according to data published at the start of 2021 and since the fall of communism in 1991 nearly 40% of Albania’s population has left the country (1.2–1.4 million).
• There are no reliable data on the number of citizens who have migrated in 2022, but on average every year since 1991; 42.000 Albanians born citizens migrate on average every year1 – according to the Albanian Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) in 2021 about 42. 048 citizens emigrated.2
• The Albanian Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) estimates that on average every year, 24.000 citizens migrate. However, two recent surveys found that Albania is ranked 4th in the world (60%) wish to migrate if they had a choice and activity plan to migrate.3

2. Albanian migration and its main characteristics

• Albanians have a look history of migration towards Europe and after the fall of the communist regime in 1991 — Albanians migrated to support their family back home due to the poor socio-economic and political conditions in Albania (primary factor pushing the migrants), and there is tradition associated with migration, known as (the kurbet tradition) mostly working abroad to support the family back home.4  The kurbet tradition has also high moral value of pride in the Albanian society, because of the risks and sacrifices it entailed to make it abroad. Thus, becoming an emigrant (kurbetli) is more than just a matter of lack of alternative economic opportunities.5
• Albania has experienced two mass exoduses since the collapse of communism; first after the fall of communism in 1991; and the second occurred in 1997 when much of the Albanian population went bankrupt, due to the investment of migrants’ remittances in the informal pyramid savings schemes collapsed and the country went into civil war; 1300 people were killed and hundreds thousands of families lost their savings were valued at around $1 billion, while the country's GDP in 1997 was only $2.3 billion dollars.6
• After 1997, there is third (silence) wave of mitigation, and Britain became a popular destination for Albanian – however, reliable data are not available and the Albanian government claims that the Albanian community in the UK is Europe's third biggest after Greece (600,000) and Italy (250,000), and about 50,000, majority based in London.7 Although further investigation and research is required to have a better idea. 
• Albanians frequently enter or remain in a country in Europe in violation of the law, either because there are no systems in place to manage their admission or because they are denied visas. Currently, Albanian citizens are part of the third country nationals as Albania has not fulfilled all the requirements to be part of the European Union – meaning that Albanian nationals have no right to work in the 27 European Union states and are allowed to visit any Schengen country without a visa for a maximum period of 3 months.8
• As a result, a key characteristic of Albanian migration its ‘irregular or clandestine nature’ due to lack of legal routes. According to report from the European Commission’s department for statistics, Eurostat, and Albania’s own institute of statistics, between 2008 and 2020, around 700,000 Albanians migrated to EU countries and now hold an EU citizenship.9

3. Reasons for migration

• Migration can be a personal choice and is mostly triggered by lack of opportunity, economic and political instability, access to justice and healthcare, as well as social, educational, and cultural process and the opportunity for a new experience – given that Albania was close to the rest of the world for more than 40 years.10
• In the case of Albania, the decision to migrate is part of a household's survival strategy, with migrants sending remittances to family members in Albania. Research suggests that there are various push factors encouraging Albanian migrants to leave the country, such as widespread of corruption, impunity, systemic failure of public institutions to protect human rights, lack of hopes and opportunity.11 But the main decision to migrate is linked to economic prospects, which play a significant role in both initiating and maintaining migration.
• Poverty, high unemployment, poor access to essential facilities, insufficient infrastructure, and education, particularly in rural regions, are significant push factors for migration. In 2022, the average monthly wage in Albania, according to the Albanian Institute of Statistics, is between 56,000 and 60,666 Albanian lek (ALL) (£425-£460) –some studies suggest it is less than ALL30,000 (£221). However, the cost of living is quite high due, especially since the pandemic and income inequality. The average Albanian spends roughly 42% of their income on food, 20% of their daily income on diesel or fuel and the rest on electricity, water, and clothing. The country is ranked 17th in the world for fuel prices and has one of the highest oil costs in Europe.12

4. Why Albanians choose the UK in 2022

• When deciding to migrate, most Albanians had a very "good image" of the UK in mind, and some of the research highlights the UK's favourable reputation as a factor that influenced their intentions to migrate there. The UK has a favourable reputation due to its low rates of racism in comparison to other nations such as Greece and Italy, where most Albanians reside.
• Albanian migrants primarily rely on social and kinship networks, which means that new Albanian migrants can seek food, shelter, information about and access to jobs, information about healthcare and other services, and emotional support from friends, family, and local associations or organisations based in the UK.
• In recent years, however, organised crime networks of Albanian origin based in the UK have exploded in rural areas of Albania, where there is extreme poverty and/or a high unemployment rate, in order to lure young Albanian men to the UK to work and thus engage in their illegal activities — by offering a free ride to the UK in exchange for employment in cannabis farming or other illegal and criminal activities for 12-18 months. As a motivator, it has proven to be a successful recruitment campaign in 2022 via social media in conjunction with the low prices offered by small boats crossing the Channel.

5. New Policy Approach and Engagement with Albania

• The UK must develop a new policy approach to Albania that goes beyond security, implying that Albania and Albanians are not primarily viewed as a security problem, as both the National Crime Agency and the Home Office have stated on numerous occasions. It must, however, engage and maintain an open channel of communication with Albania, particularly with the Albanian diaspora in the United Kingdom.
• The UK must take a more holistic approach to Albania, and the FCDO must co-lead the policy on Albania, as the Home Office currently leads on Albania, and the approach has not been as successful, particularly when it comes to prevention measures.
• Following the UK-Albania PM's Joint Communique on "Enhancing bilateral cooperation in areas of common interest"13 – I strongly recommend that the FCDO, along with a number of other departments, consider establishing a "UK-Albania strategic working group" comprised of members of the UK and Albanian policymaking communities, as well as members of academic and civil society, to monitor and work on ensuring the Joint Communique's goals are achieved.
• The "UK-Albania strategic group" that I propose will also enable an open dialogue on major policy challenges and serve as a platform to work out some of the policy differences that both parties have and use it as a way to move forward on policy areas where the parties can agree, such as combating organised crime networks, and how to make progress on those where they can't. Furthermore, it will create a much more positive environment for mutual collaboration and usher in a new era of collaboration, potentially preventing many of the current policy challenges that both the UK and Albania are facing.

December 2022