Civil Society Consulting CIC, based in the UK, partnered with many other civil society organisations and individuals including The European Network on Religion and Belief (ENORB), Shpresa Programme, Arise Foundation, Media Diversity Institute and Hibiscus Initiatives collectively are aiming to bring to light the deteriorating situation that Albanian asylum seekers and migrants are facing in Europe, most especially in the UK, and to form a collaborative anti-racism solidarity partnership firmly opposing otherising, scapegoating and false narratives. 

Despite claims by the UK Government that Albania is a safe country, thousands of Albanians are leaving a country greatly scarred by the former Hoxha communist regime that ended in 1997, following protests against the pyramid schemes failures after the country’s transition to a market economy. Today, the country still experiences significant social inequalities and consequently social strife and widespread political disillusionment, especially amongst younger people. Albanian asylum seekers are facing the risk of modern slavery and becoming the latest scapegoat of racist and xenophobic rhetoric, as we have witnessed increased levels of anti-Albanian prejudice and racism particularly in the UK.

On May 12th we held a first collaborative event in which we explored the background and roots of anti-Albanian racism. As part of this, we had a wide ranging discussion with members of the CSOs, Albanian scholar Kristina Millona, and with an asylum seeker himself the political and economical situation in Albania, and explored why some Albanians feel compelled to leave and what victims of modern slavery face in the UK and when being sent back to their home country. 

For further action, we wish to give a platform to those Albanians with “lived experience” of the challenge they face and manifest the need of assessing each asylum application individually as opposed to Albania being deemed as a safe country within the current “Illegal Migration Bill” and automatically sending back Albanian asylum seekers. 

We encourage partners to sign here the Clause 57 amendment letter, which will remove Albania from the list of “safe states” with reference to which asylum and human rights claims will be deemed inadmissible.