Overview
- The Home Office says about 700 Albanian families in the UK have no right to stay, using the figure to underpin proposed asylum changes.
- Shabana Mahmood’s plan would dilute Article 8 ECHR family-life protections and allow forced removals if return payments are refused.
- Albania’s government argues the focus on Albanians constitutes scapegoating and warns it risks straining cooperation on security and migration.
- RUSI associate fellow Andi Hoxhaj says the rhetoric singles out Albanians and tracks with a drive to reinterpret ECHR family-rights provisions.
- More than two dozen Labour MPs have voiced anger over the proposals, as data show Albanian asylum claims are low and small‑boat arrivals have fallen by over 90% since 2022.