Albanian migrants travelling over the Channel may soon be greeted at Dover by police from their own country who will examine their criminal histories.
By comparing migrant fingerprints and other biometric data to their own databases, Albanian police will help UK border authorities.
Today, representatives from the Home Office and the Albanian Police will meet to discuss a strategy for placing police personnel from that nation at British ports.
According to government sources, the scheme would enable the UK to recognise and deport individuals who are not “conducive to the public interest.”
The plan is a component of a deal that Home Secretary Priti Patel reached with Albania to deport criminals and undocumented immigrants.
According to Ms. Patel, the “quick removal” programme would process Albanian asylum claimants promptly and deport those who had no right to be in the UK.
The migrants may be deported “within hours,” according to sources.
To assist in the processing of the migrants when they are sent back, Britain has funded a $1 million police station in Tirana, the capital of Albania.
Additionally, new law would speed up the deportation of immigrants who have “unfounded” asylum claims.
‘This biometric data would allow authorities to discover any Albanian sought by Albanian police or who has a criminal past,’ government insiders told The Telegraph.
The systems and data used by the Albanian police will be on two laptops.
If there are no data privacy or legal difficulties that would prohibit the Albanian police from accessing biographic and biometric data collected by UK Border Force under UK legislation, the source from the Border Force said, “This access would benefit us greatly.”
It will help us determine not just who they are but also if any of them are known offenders.
However, sharing information on asylum seekers with the government of the nation they are claiming to fear persecution from may be risky – at least before the claim is reviewed.
During a massive surge of immigrants crossing the Channel last week, over 700 Albanian migrants landed in the UK in one day. This year, at least 25,000 migrants have crossed.
Albanians now account for 50 to 60% of all Channel crossings, according to the Home Office, with arrivals from the tranquil European nation surpassing those from Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Afghanistan.
According to reports, Gledis Nano, the general director of the Albanian state police, suggested deploying Albanian policemen to Britain to apprehend criminals who enter the country.
To combat Albanian gangs, Albania has already sent police personnel to five French towns.
Albanian immigrants have been under more scrutiny recently from UK security authorities due to worries about organised crime.
In the first half of the year, around 2,100 people crossed the Channel, but since June, that number has risen to almost 6,000.
Last week, Priti Patel met with her Albanian colleague to talk about the new agreement.
The Home Secretary declared: “Violent organised criminal organisations and unscrupulous people smugglers are selling falsehoods to large numbers of Albanians, prompting them to embark on perilous voyages in frail boats to the UK.
“We cannot allow individuals to continue endangering their lives and abusing our immigration system.” We will take advantage of every chance to expedite the departure of Albanians who do not have the right to be in the UK because of our great levels of cooperation with Albania.
We oppose these unlawful and hazardous actions, said Bledi Cuci, Albania’s interior minister.
“The Home Secretary and I also addressed medium-term alternatives to provide greater prospects for youth, as well as strategies for legal migration that allow skilled workers and labour access to the UK.”