Group of British experts in Tirana: Poverty the main factor in mass migration

British researchers and experts were in Albania last week to collect data on the migration of young Albanians to Great Britain.

One of them was Dr Krish Kandiah of the Sanctuary Foundation, who warned that "many young people will make this dangerous transition if more is not done to open legal channels and reduce poverty in the country," The Mirror reports.

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Kandiah said poverty is a major "driving factor" for young people leaving Albania for the UK.

"When I was last in Albania in the 1990s, it was officially the poorest country in Europe with more people traveling by horse and cart than by car. However, while the cities have modernized rapidly, there are parts of the country that have lagged behind in terms of development," he said.

Another factor, which he says is encouraging young people to come to Britain illegally, is "the warning by Rishi Sunak's government to ban small boats."

"Gangs are exploiting this, offering special offers, suggesting that the Queen's death or Boris Johnson's resignation offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for safer passage," he said.

The second driving factor is the lack of opportunity. A group of young people explained to me how they could earn twice as much on a construction site in the UK as any job they could imagine doing in Albania. “There’s nothing here for us,” they said.

The third driving factor, he said, is that in this era of global migration, most Albanians are leaving through legal channels. Those with higher education and skills are taking advantage of opportunities to study or work abroad. Doctors have gone to Germany. Financiers have been lured to America.

The pull factors are equally strong. The first and most obvious is the attraction of organized crime gangs that profit from Albania's growing inequalities and frustrations.

The second pull factor is Britain's reputation. Albanians have heard that there is a labor shortage in the UK. They have the impression that Britain, with an Asian Prime Minister and Home Secretary, is less racist than other European countries. Every day they see the incredible role the UK plays in music, television and cinema.