London: There is "little evidence" that Albanians face persecution in their home country, according to a committee of UK lawmakers, casting doubt on the future of many who have applied for asylum in the country.

12,301 Albanians crossed the English Channel in small boats illegally into the UK last year; many of them went on to request asylum. In the six months leading up to June 2022, asylum requests from Albanians were granted in 51% of cases. 

In a report issued on Monday, the committee claimed that during the same time period, nine other European nations rejected all applications for asylum submitted by Albanians.

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In the report, the MPs urged the government to provide an explanation for why claims from safe nations were accepted at such a high rate.

According to the MPs, Albania is a secure nation. It is not engaged in hostilities and is a candidate to join the European Union. 

The committee concludes that there is no convincing reason for the UK to routinely accept thousands of asylum requests from citizens of Albania.

The main driver of migration from Albania to the UK, according to the report, was better employment opportunities.

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Labour MP Dame Diana Johnson, who serves as the committee's chair, noted that there had been a "substantial, sudden increase" in asylum requests from a supposedly peaceful nation, and that "while it is important that questions are asked and lessons are learned, it is clear that the immigration picture is not static and will continue to evolve."

Changes in migration will inevitably put stress on any system, but the government needs to do much more to make sure it can handle these stresses better, said Dame Diana.

Additionally, the MPs claimed that there were "unquestionably cases of Albanian citizens being trafficked to the UK," noting that women were particularly likely to fall victim and that more needed to be done to assist them and put an end to the practise. 

The report recommended using seasonal work visas in pertinent industries to facilitate Albanian migration without encouraging bogus asylum claims or unauthorised crossings of the English Channel.

One of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's five core campaign promises is to stop illegal immigration to the country. 

He claimed that 1,800 Albanians had been sent home as a result of a recent agreement between the UK and Albania, but he added that there was still "work to do."

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A spokesperson for the Home Office stated: "Last year, 28% of people who entered the UK by small boat were from Albania, a safe European nation and NATO ally, adding additional pressure to our asylum system. 

"To dismantle criminal gangs and discourage illegal immigration, we've collaborated closely with the Albanian government. Albanian small boat arrivals in the five months leading up to the end of May have decreased by 90% compared to the same period last year, and we have sent 1,800 illegal immigrants and foreign criminals home. Our acceptance rate for asylum claims from Albanians has decreased from one in five to one in fifty, in line with other European nations, thanks to changes to our asylum system.