Keir Starmer's Immigration Plan Shows UK Is 'In A Very Dark Place', Says Albanian PM

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, left, welcomes British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he arrives at the European Political Community summit in Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, Albania, on Friday, May 16, 2025. Keir Starmer’simmigration plan has been torn apart by his Albanian counterpart, who said it proves the UK is in “a very dark place”.The UK announced last month that it was launching a “return hubs” scheme with processing centres in a third country for those who refused asylum in Britain.One possible location which has been mooted is Albania, but the country’s PM, Edi Rama, ruled that out when Starmer visited him last month.Rama, who just won a fourth term in office, has now said that the policy is an example of the “totally shameful” ideas which are now normal in the UK since Brexit.He told the international media: “It’s one of those things that 10 years ago would simply not have not been imaginable … that Britain would look for places to dump immigrants.“The fact that today it’s not just imaginable, it’s happening, is not because of Keir Starmer or [Rishi] Sunak doing something outrageous; it’s because of the country being in a very dark place.”He continued: “Eighty per cent of the things that are said, or are written, or are accepted as a normal part of the discourse in today’s Britain are things that [before Brexit] would have been totally unacceptable, totally ridiculous, totally shameful.”HIs strong words come after Starmer tried to improve the UK’s bilateral relationship with Albania last month by becoming the first ever British prime minister to visit the country.Starmer also announced the return hubs scheme while in Tirana, although Rama made it clear Albania was not part of the programme.As he told the media: “I have been clear about this since Boris Johnson asked me and Rishi asked me … I’ve always said no.”Rama then explained why Albania has agreed to a very similar programme processing immigrants who have been refused asylum in Italy.He suggested Italy was an exception to his rules because of the support it has given Albania since its cruel Stalinist regime fell in 1991.“Practically we are one country made of two independent countries,” he said. “Italy has been there for us in every dark moment and difficult situation since the day we got out of the hell of [being] the North Korea of Europe.“[We] have a weak spot for Italy, so when Italy asks us for something we say yes, full stop.”Related...Diane Abbott Slams Keir Starmer's Immigration Speech For Being 'Fundamentally Racist'Chris Philp Tried To Attack Labour's Response To Immigration – But There Are ReceiptsTrump Blames Colorado 'Flamethrower' Attack On Biden Immigration Policies

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