On May 15, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to arrive in Tirana for a 48-hour visit. During his stay, he is reportedly set to advance a previously undisclosed agenda of his government: the establishment of another migrant asylum center in Albania, similar to the one being developed by Italy in Gjadër.
A qualified source with access to the UK Home Office informed Hashtag.al exclusively about this development.
“On May 16, several EU leaders will gather in Tirana for a summit. However, Mr. Starmer’s visit will take place a day earlier, on May 15. While the Albanian Prime Minister will likely frame this visit as historic, Mr. Starmer’s sole priority is to push forward the creation of a new asylum center aimed at relocating migrants—primarily from the Middle East—from the UK to Albania,” the source stated.
It is understood that the Albanian and British governments have been exchanging confidential information through unofficial state channels over the past few months regarding the potential implementation of this project.
Currently, Albania is already hosting a migrant relocation camp in Gjadër, part of an agreement with Italy.
However, this new initiative follows a previous failed attempt at such a partnership with the UK.
“If you recall, in July 2021, former UK Home Secretary Priti Patel visited Albania. At the time, the two governments were close to finalizing a similar agreement. The Albanian side insisted that the project remain strictly confidential until the final stage. Working groups were even established to handle the details. However, someone from the former British administration leaked the information to the media, prompting the Albanian government to withdraw,” the same source explained.
It has also emerged that PM Keir Starmer held a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in September 2024, during which he specifically sought her advice on how best to win over Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s support for the plan.
When Hashtag.al asked what the Albanian Prime Minister would gain in exchange for such a concession—given that the UK is not part of the EU—the source responded:
“There are two types of returns: privileges in the best-case scenario, or simply buying time when in trouble. I fear it is the latter in this case. The Albanian Prime Minister may be seeking to buy time, and the pressure may well be coming from the UK’s influence over Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SPAK), which is reportedly holding serious and ready-to-act case files involving Rama’s top generals—and possibly Rama himself,” the source claimed.
He added: “Don’t be surprised if, at a later stage and under similar pressure, your Prime Minister proposes the construction of camps for Palestinians as well.”
— Hashtag.al
