Chris McAndrew, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was left red-faced on Thursday, May 15, 2025 during his visit to Tirana, Albania, when his proposal to establish “return hubs” for failed asylum seekers was publicly rejected by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
The initiative aimed to process rejected asylum seekers in third countries, drawing inspiration from Italy’s agreement with Albania.
At a joint press conference, Mr. Rama emphasized that Albania’s arrangement with Italy was unique and would not be extended to other nations.
“This is an exclusive agreement with Italy because we love everyone, but with Italy we have unconditional love,” Rama stated .
Sir Keir had previously expressed interest in Italy’s model, where migrants rescued at sea are transferred to Albanian centers for asylum processing.
Unlike the UK’s former Rwanda scheme, Italy’s plan allows successful applicants to settle in Italy, while unsuccessful ones are detained in Albania pending repatriation .
Despite Albania’s refusal, the UK government continues to explore similar agreements with other Western Balkan countries, including Serbia and Bosnia.
These proposed “return hubs” would temporarily house failed asylum seekers from countries deemed safe by UK law, such as India, while arrangements for their deportation are made.
The Labour government, having scrapped the previous administration’s Rwanda plan, faces mounting pressure to address the surge in Channel crossings, which have increased by 40% compared to the previous year.
Sir Keir emphasized a pragmatic approach, stating, “We are pragmatists first and foremost. When we see a challenge, we discuss with our friends and allies the different approaches that are being taken and look at what works”.
