Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has firmly stated that Albania will not host return centers for rejected asylum seekers, emphasizing that such a move “is not the solution” to tackling illegal migration.
During an interview with BBC Radio 4’s “The World Tonight”, held on the sidelines of the Berlin Process Summit in London, Rama responded to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s reported plans to establish migration return centers in third countries, including Albania.
“This is not a solution. Albania will never become a host country for return centers,” Rama said, noting that the agreement with Italy represents “a unique case” due to the special relationship between the two neighboring countries.
The Albanian leader explained that while sending migrants to third countries could have a deterrent effect, it does not address the root causes of migration.
“In the case of Albania and Italy, it makes sense — we’re separated only by a sea. But taking people, putting them on planes, and sending them thousands of kilometers away to another country is not a long-term solution,” Rama stated.
Rama also called for Europe and the UK to reconsider their overall approach to migration.
“The real question Europe and Britain must face is this: Is migration the problem, or part of the solution?”
He argued that migration should be seen as part of the solution, given Europe’s ongoing “demographic winter” and the shortage of workforce across the continent.
