Four years ago, a large number of Albanians crossed to Britain in small boats, and that event is still being used by right-wing politicians and the media to make “unhinged” and “hysterical” criticisms, according to Albania’s UK ambassador.
Uran Ferizi said the arrival of more than 12,000 people from the Balkan country in 2022 was “real,” “exceptional,” and “short-lived,” but the Albanian community in the UK is still being judged by those events by Reform UK and the Daily Telegraph.
He called on Nigel Farage’s party to stop “Albanian-spotting” and suggested that the UK’s visa policy at the time—which approved a lower percentage of visas for Albanians compared to other Balkan countries—may have pushed some vulnerable people toward people smugglers.
Ferizi’s office has put together a 10-page report based mainly on data from the Home Office and the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford. It shows that 12,658 Albanians crossed the Channel in 2022—a sharp spike, but only about 1% of the UK’s total long-term immigration that year. Arrivals then dropped sharply, and the embassy’s analysis suggests most of that group has since left the UK.
View image in fullscreen: Uran Ferizi presents his credentials to King Charles at Buckingham Palace in May 2024. The Albanian ambassador has accused the right-wing media of demonizing the Albanian community in the UK. Photograph: Yui Mok/AFP/Getty Images
Ferizi, whose first experience of Britain was as a teenage stowaway before he went on to study mathematics at the University of Oxford four years later, said some of the focus on Albanians “sounds unhinged.”
“A loud minority in British politics and media has kept the Albanian migration crisis alive long after it ended in the data,” he said. “Actual contact tends to ruin the story. I attended Reform UK’s conference last year, and by the end of a pub quiz my table had concluded that the Albanian ambassador was ‘actually alright.’ Reform might do more for Britain by addressing youth unemployment and welfare than by Albanian-spotting.
“Unfortunately, the framing is contagious. Conservatives, and regrettably some in government, can seem keener to compete with Reform’s headlines than to examine the evidence.”
According to Ferizi’s report, Albanian applicants for UK visas had an approval rate of just 65.5% from 2018 to 2025, compared to about 90% for other western Balkan countries, with more than 70,000 Albanian applications refused.
Ferizi argues this deserves more attention. “When the legal route is unusually difficult, you cannot discuss the irregular route as though the two have nothing to do with each other,” he said. The report stops short of claiming visa refusals caused the Channel surge, but it raises the possibility that limited legal access made some young Albanians more vulnerable to smugglers and traffickers.
“The surge was real,” Ferizi said. “But it was exceptional, it was short-lived, and Britain is still talking about Albanians as though 2022 never ended.”
Ferizi has criticized the Daily Telegraph’s coverage of Albanians for painting the community as criminals. In an unpublished letter to the newspaper, he cited a 2024 article claiming that one in 50 Albanians in the UK were in prison, the worst rate of any nationality.
“Adjusted for age, sex, and other relevant factors, as any comparison should be, the rate shrinks dramatically,” he said. “Left unadjusted, it gives you the headline you want.”
Reform and the Telegraph have been contacted for comment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs regarding the Albanian ambassadors criticism of the UKs right wing written in a natural tone with clear answers
General Background
Q What did the Albanian ambassador actually say
A Ambassador Igli Hasani criticized parts of the UKs rightwing political spectrum for having an unhinged and obsessive focus on the 2022 spike in Albanian migrants crossing the Channel He argued that the narrative was exaggerated and unfairly portrayed Albanians as a major problem
Q Why is the ambassador speaking out now
A He is responding to ongoing political rhetoric and media coverage in the UK that continues to frame Albanian migration as a national crisis He wants to correct what he sees as a distorted image of his country and its citizens
Q What was the 2022 surge in migrants hes referring to
A In 2022 there was a significant increase in the number of Albanian nationals arriving in the UK via small boats across the English Channel They became the secondlargest nationality group arriving that year which led to intense political debate and policy responses
Q Is the ambassador denying that Albanians came to the UK in 2022
A No he isnt denying the numbers He is challenging the interpretation of those numbers He argues that many were economic migrants not genuine asylum seekers fleeing war and that the crisis was blown out of proportion
The Criticism The Reaction
Q What does unhinged mean in this context
A It is a strong word meaning that the criticism and rhetoric from some rightwing figures is irrational extreme and out of touch with reality The ambassador is saying the obsession is disproportionate to the actual problem
Q Why does the ambassador think the UK right wing is obsessed with this
A He suggests it is a convenient political tool By focusing on a specific group of migrants they can push a hardline immigration agenda and generate public support even if the data doesnt fully support the level of alarm
Q How did the UK government and rightwing politicians react to his comments
