Channel migrants could be sent to Kosovo - but numbers will be 'small'

Channel migrants could be sent to Kosovo after their prime minister became the first to offer to accept failed asylum seekers from the UK. Albin Kurti said his country "wants to help the UK"after Britain protected them from Slobodan Milosevic's regime in the 1990s.

But Mr Kurti admitted it is likely to be a small number of migrants, because "we have limited capacity". Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is scrambling to sign migrant return hub deals, and the news from the Kosovan delegation ahead of Wednesday's Western Balkans Summit will be a welcome boost after a series of rejections. Talks will take place in London on Wednesday, it is understood. Mr Kurti said: "We want to help the UK. We consider that that is our friendly and political duty.

"We have limited capacity, but still we want to help and as we speak, there is regular communication between our teams of state officials from our ministry of internal affairs and lawyers about how to do this smoothly for mutual benefit.

"We would like mainly to get support in security - be that through strategic agreements or through equipment and projects we might do. Our two teams are working on this, but I think this will have a successful result.

"Of course, we want, as a country, to benefit, but we consider it first and foremost our obligation to help you because you helped us a great deal and will never forget that."

On Tuesday, Albania and Montenegro confirmed they will not host "return hubs" for failed asylum seekers ahead of the summit with Sir Keir in London.

Albanian premier Edi Rama has repeatedly insisted he only did a deal with Italy because of his country's historic ties to the nation.

He added: "When it comes to the hubs, or whatever they are called, I've said it, and I repeat - never in Albania."

Turning to Montenegro's prime minister Milojko Spajic, Mr Rama asked him if he would host a hub if the UK built railways in his country, to which he replied: "We definitely accept it, if they would invest 10billion euros into building railways."

Mr Spajic added: "Montenegro is not part of the migrant routes through the Balkans."

Britain has approached Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bosnia Herzegovina and several countries outside Europe for return hubs.

It comes as analysis by the think tank Migration Watch slammed Sir Keir's returns deal with France, warning that only 42 people have been removed since August 6.

This is the equivalent to a return every two days. Given that almost 60,000 migrants have arrived since Sir Keir took office, it would take until 2320 to remove every small boat arrival under Labour.

The Home Office has vowed to ramp up returns under Sir Keir's deal with Emmanuel Macron.

Migration Watch chairman Alp Mehmet: "This is not a legacy to look back on with pride, Prime Minister.

"Moreover, if we receive one migrant back for each one we return, we will have the same number, plus new arrivals, to fend for.

"The public have had enough of fibs and bluster, which the gangs lap up as they get smashed on champagne."

Mr Rama sparked fury after claiming Brexit led to Britain becoming "depressed" and more small boat crossings.

In explosive comments on the historic decision to leave the EU and the illegal migration crisis, he said "some call them small boats, some call them Brexit boats".

He added: "You left Europe because you wanted more happiness. Now you are depressed."

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will host leaders from the Western Balkans - including Mr Rama - on Wednesday seeking to strengthen efforts to snare smuggling gangs and prevent migrants from crossing Europe.

Sir Keir is expected to continue negotiations on return hubs to bolster the deterrent to those considering crossing the Channel.

But no deals are expected to be announced at the Western Balkans Summit.

Mr Rama, speaking at a think-tank event on Tuesday, said of the Channel migrant crisis: "Some call them small boats, some call them Brexit boats. And one wonders why you left Europe.

"You left Europe because you wanted less boats, and you have more boats. You left Europe because you wanted more investment. You have less investment.

"You left Europe because you wanted more happiness. Now you are depressed."

He also continued his swipe at Brexit by claiming closer collaboration improves efforts to tackle illegal migration.

Mr Rama said: "That has worked in a fantastic way. It has worked in a way that I believe is sustainable.

"It's a systemic confrontation with this disease of trafficking networks." And in a thinly-veiled reference to Nigel Farage, he said: "It's not up to us to decide who will be elected and who will not be elected in Britain.

"But at the end of the day we have seen more than once than the business of the government is something totally different from the poetry of the opposition. So I don't see any problem when it comes to cooperating with whomever.

"And, in the end, I believe that Farage is not the problem, Farage is a mirror of problems that has some theatrical capacity to be attractive, but the problems are elsewhere."

But a Home Office source who was in post as tens of thousands of Albanians crossed told the Daily Express: "Edi Rama has no idea what he's talking about.

"If he actually did his job Albanians wouldn't have been fleeing for the UK in their droves.

"He should spend less time mouthing off and more time taking back the record number of Albanian criminals clogging up our jails."