On Monday, November 17, 2025, the United Kingdom’s Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stood before Parliament and announced a sweeping set of reforms to the country’s asylum system. Among her remarks, one detail stood out—and quickly ignited a diplomatic firestorm: she singled out “around 700 Albanian families” living in taxpayer-funded accommodation despite having failed their asylum claims. The fallout was immediate and fierce, with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama accusing Mahmood of ethnic stereotyping and indecent demagogy, and tensions between the two countries threatening to overshadow recent cooperation on migration.
According to The Guardian, Rama, leader of Albania’s Socialist Party, took to social media to question why Mahmood, a Labour minister, was “using the bad rhetoric of the populist far right” and targeting a single community. “How can a Labour Home Secretary be so vocal in adopting the rhetoric of the populist far right—and single out 700 Albanian families, who are just a statistical drop in the ocean of Britain’s post-Brexit challenges—at the very moment when the UK and Albania have built one of the most successful European partnerships in the fight against illegal migration?” Rama wrote on X.
Mahmood, for her part, defended the reforms as a necessary response to what she called an “out of control and unfair” asylum system. Speaking in the House of Commons, she declared, “We must remove those whose asylum claims have been rejected, regardless of who they are. Today, we do not remove family groups, even when we know that their home country is completely safe. For example, around 700 Albanian families are living in taxpayer-funded accommodation, even though their asylum claims have been rejected—despite the existing return agreement and Albania being a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights. That is why we will now start removing families. Wherever possible, we will encourage voluntary returns, but where forced returns are necessary, we will do so.”
The new policy, as outlined by Mahmood, would make refugee status temporary, extend the wait for permanent settlement from five to twenty years, and allow the removal of families with children who have no right to remain. The reforms also include an annual cap on legal migration routes, aiming to deter dangerous Channel crossings and reduce incentives for migrants to seek asylum in the UK. While these measures are broad, the focus on Albanian families—despite their relatively small numbers—sparked accusations that the UK government was unfairly targeting one group for political gain.
Prime Minister Rama’s response was both swift and scathing. He argued that “Albanians are a net contributor to the British economy, and the number of Albanians receiving benefits in the UK is very small compared to other communities. To single them out over and over again is not politics—it is a worrying and undignified form of demagogy.” Rama further warned that such rhetoric risked exposing Albanian citizens in the UK to additional risks, including from extremist groups who might seize upon such narratives. “Official policy should never be guided by ethnic stereotypes,” he insisted, adding, “That is the very least humanity expects from the great Great Britain.”
Official data supports some of Rama’s points. Since a returns agreement was signed in 2022, the UK has deported more than 13,000 people to Albania, and illegal Albanian crossings have dropped by more than 90 percent, according to figures reported by The Guardian and GB News. Albanian asylum applications remain low, and the number of Albanians benefiting from UK welfare is, by all accounts, comparatively small. Nevertheless, the British government’s latest move to forcibly deport families who refuse financial incentives to return has left many in the Albanian community feeling singled out and stigmatised.
Andi Hoxhaj, a fellow at the British think tank RUSI, told The Guardian that the government’s rhetoric appeared to be “targeting and singling out Albanians.” He noted, “We saw the same problem under the previous conservative administration, and both the Albanian community and the Albanian government are deeply frustrated by the return of such a narrative.” This frustration is not new. Rama has previously clashed with British politicians over their descriptions of Albanian nationals, including a pointed exchange in May 2025 when he refused to host UK ‘return hubs’ for failed asylum seekers from other countries and accused the previous Conservative government of “stigmatising” Albanians.
In fact, Rama’s combative stance on this issue has become something of a hallmark. He has challenged UK politicians from across the spectrum—Labour, Conservative, and even Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, whom he once invited to debate in Albania after Farage claimed, without evidence, that one in fifty Albanians in Britain were in prison. Rama dismissed the figure as “bonkers” and accused Farage of peddling “post-truth Brexit playbook” politics, as reported by the BBC.
Despite the harsh words exchanged, the two countries have a recent history of cooperation on migration. The UK and Albania have worked closely to disrupt smuggling gangs and curb illegal migration routes through the Western Balkans, which remains a key transit corridor for asylum seekers hoping to reach Britain. Over the summer of 2025, British border security officers were deployed to Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to gather intelligence and establish contacts with local authorities. According to The Guardian, this collaboration has been officially acknowledged as one of Europe’s most successful partnerships in the fight against illegal migration.
However, as an Albanian government source told The Guardian, these latest developments have strained diplomatic relations. Tensions are growing between the governments, even as operational cooperation continues. For many in Albania, the concern is not just about policy but about the impact of political rhetoric on their citizens’ safety and reputation abroad. Rama’s warning that “cursing the Albanians was not a good idea, because the curse went back and they are now out of the parliament” was a pointed reference to the electoral defeat of the previous Conservative government, which he attributed, at least in part, to their treatment of Albanians.
For the British government, the reforms are part of a broader effort to regain control of the country’s borders and reduce the burden on public services. Mahmood’s argument is that the system must be fair and credible to maintain public trust. “If we fail to deal with this crisis, we will draw more people down a path that starts with anger and ends in hatred,” she told MPs. Yet, in the eyes of critics, including many within her own Labour Party, the approach risks alienating vital partners and communities, and undermining the UK’s reputation for fairness and decency.
With both sides digging in, the row over Albanian families and asylum policy has become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate about migration, identity, and Britain’s place in post-Brexit Europe. As the rhetoric intensifies, the challenge for leaders on both sides will be to find a path forward that balances security, compassion, and the hard-earned trust between nations.