Albanian children in British schools are being bullied because of a “campaign of discrimination” unleashed by the Channel migrant crisis, MPs were told today.
Giving evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, Albania’s ambassador to the UK called for an end to negative coverage of his countrymen and women - thousands of whom have landed on English beaches in recent months after making the perilous journey across the Dover Strait.
Qirjako Qirko told MPs: “This campaign of discrimination against Albanians living here in the UK should stop.”
Hitting out at “part of the media which is involved in this wave of activity against my people living here”, he added: “I would like to do as much as possible that this kind of activity should stop as soon as possible.
Get a daily morning politics briefing straight to your inbox. Sign up for the free Mirror Politics newsletter
“There are people - especially youngsters - who are bullied in their schools only because they are Albanians.”
Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick has claimed 80% of people arriving in small boats are from Albania.
In 2020, 50 Albanians arrived, while the following year 800 made the crossing.
But in the first nine months of this year, 11,241 arrived
Of those who have come so far this year, about 10,000 were single, adult men.
Mr Qirko refused to be drawn on numbers, insisting he did recognise the figures because he had not been provided with official information.
He suggested some of those deemed to be Albanians might be coming to the UK from other countries.
He told the committee Albania is a safe country - and most of those claiming asylum were economic migrants.
“People come here for the same reason that the Italians, the Germans, the French are coming into this country - just to see a better opportunity,” he said.
He accused some Albanian asylum seekers of “pretending to be victims of modern slavery,” to boost their cases.
Under questioning from Conservative MP Lee Anderson, Mr Qirko dismissed calls for Tirana to pay Britain to house Albanian asylum seekers in British hotels while their claims are assessed.
“There’s no reason to give a contribution,” he said.
