Journalist: Welcome to Sky News Breakfast. I will be joining by the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, after his visit to Downing Street yesterday.
It is worth saying that the relations between the United Kingdom and Albania have been a bit fraught recently with thousands of young Albanians crossing the Channel last year and accusations that they are coming for economic reasons. But on a visit to meet Mr. Sunak yesterday, Albania’s Prime Minister said he wants all Albanians to feel safe and honoured here in the UK. I am pleased to say that the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama joins me now.
Good morning and thank you very much for coming.
PM Rama: Thank you for inviting me.
Journalist: Tell us a little bit of your talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday. What was the main message you wanted to put across to him?
PM Rama: Of course the British-Albanian relations are of a very highly strategic importance and they touched the lowest point in history since we came out of communism, because of that rhetoric that has put whole Albanian community in Britain under immense pressure. But, in the meantime, while I made I think clearly the point about the rhetoric, as our relation is not at all just about that, but it is about much more. We had a very constructive meeting with the Prime Minister and I must say that both on the side of what has been important to him, namely tackling the criminal networks, and on the side of what is important for both, namely building up a very, very strong relation, we have made important progress. And I must say that finally on the side of the Downing Street we have been heard and it is no longer about words only, but also deeds in putting together in place a joint Task Force to crack down on criminal networks, which is of course something that Albania has always wanted and we have been always been keen to cooperate with Britain.
Journalist: You talked about the rhetoric that you were unhappy about. And you particularly commented on Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary’s language. You called it disgraceful. Tell us a little bit about what it was that you objected to and you think that did to relations?
PM Rama: Listen, again I think I have made my point very clear and I don’t want to repeat it again and again, because it would not be right vis-à-vis the much broader picture and a much deeper relation between Albania and Britain and it would not be also fair, so to say, to insist on that, while we are having very important signs of regret and embarrassment that are, let’s say, enough at this point. I very much hope that this won’t be repeated anymore and the Albanian community here will be really honoured for what it is, because it is one thing putting the boats and criminals and every other disturbing aspect under the spot of the attention, but the other thing is to never forget that Albanians here are doing great and they are helping and contributing to Britain to be a better place. Yesterday, while getting out of the hotel together with the people who take care of my security and I hear someone calling from the sky “Edi, Edi, Edi!” I looked up and I saw it was a construction site and on top of the building there were three people dressed in construction workers’ uniform and all the three were Albanians. Albanians here are working in construction companies, Albanians here are nursing about your elderly, Albanians here are cooking and improving the British kitchen. I must say they are also singing for you. Let alone the academics, the university students. It has been so unfair to them to be put under such a pressure, but at the same time they represent a very strong base to build something very important.
Journalist: So you really want to stress the important role that Albanians play in our communities, but there is concern about the number of those arriving in small boats, which you discussed with the Prime Minister. Albanians made up 28% of small boat arrivals last year. How concerned are you about that?
PM Rama: It is a trend in all the countries that have emerged from the dark period of communism and that are trying to catch up with what has always been our horizon, namely looking to the developed countries. You cannot stop young people dream and hope, because, well Albania is one case, but there are also other cases, like Croatia for example. Croatia today is fully integrated in the European Union. It is a country that has done very important progress, but there are still so many Croatians, professionals, youngsters moving towards Ireland or to Germany, because they want to get something more and they want it now. So this is something that is also connected to the fact that everyone knows and this kids that are coming from Albania they know it too that in Britain there is a lot of need for construction workers, there is a lot of need for taxi drivers, for truck drivers, for nurses. So it is also about this. And I am not here to question the sovereignty and the mandate of the British government to have border policy and to want to be close towards the fluxes that are attempting Britain to get a job, but this is all what it is about. It is about economic reasons. It is about coming, getting a job and building a future in a country that has always been “the shining city on the hill.”
Journalist: Yes, and Albanians were the top nationality claiming asylum as well as last year. Less than half of them have been granted asylum and we have to deal with that.
PM Rama: They claim asylum, because there is no other way. They are not part of the free labour market, which, for example, is not the case with the Croatians, is not the case with the Romanian, Bulgarians and so on. Then, on the other hand, because of the Brexit you know that some disruptions have happened, as you have lost a lot of workforce from these countries, so it is all about dreaming and hoping to get what they imagine best for their lives now, without waiting for many more years that this might happen in Albania.
Journalist: Yes, but when they apply for asylum, a lot of them are not getting it. Around half, I think, fail in their applications and you do have a deal with Great Britain to send those people back. How is that operating?
PM Rama: We have had a rise in numbers in 2015, when the large refugee crisis hit Europe and it was the moment when many Albanians went to Germany and while we fixed with Germany this safe country of origin, the numbers went down. So making asylum less accessible for people that are not really coming because they have political reasons to do so or because they are persecuted in their country, or because they are fleeing a war, but they are taking advantage of the asylum to just get the opportunity to stay here and work here is one of the ways and Britain is doing it now. Second, we have to crack down on the networks, which are actually international ones, and not Albanian networks, but international ones. That’s why it is very important to distinguish between the fight against crime with ethnic groups that cannot be labelled as groups feeding the crime world. And, on the other hand, it is about having a visa system that provides people access to apply in a regular manner and have their applications processed without waiting for them to take the Channel, so that they can come here to work and offer their skills. This is a combination of factors that is slowly getting into place and I am sure that this issue will be solved, but I am not sure that closing the borders and not letting people come in is not the best for the British economy. However, this is not for me to decide, it is for the British people.
Journalist: Okay, Edi Rama, we appreciate for coming and talking to us today and do drop by again let us know the progress you are making and with the relations with the UK.
PM Rama: Thank you very much. I very much hope to welcome the Prime Minister in Albania. This is the first time that an Albanian Prime Minister is visiting Britain officially, but we haven’t had yet a British Prime Minister coming to Albania officially in our history. Tony Blair has visited Albania, but it was because of Kosovo war and we will hopefully have a prime minister of yours coming and we will have you interviewing us in Tirana.
Journalist: That sounds like a good plan. When might that be?
PM Rama: I don’t know. I hope that we are not going to wait for another Prime Minister to welcome the British Prime Minister in Tirana.
Journalist: Ok, Edi Rama, good to see you. Thank you very much indeed.