The biggest increase was among Albanians, with 12,000, or almost a third of the arrivals. Ministers are planning a tailored fast-track deportation program for Albanians, where any asylum claims are heard within days and migrants removed. A previous Home Office fast-track program was outlawed in 2015 after legal challenges, but officials believe they can overcome legal hurdles that require them to have a “realistic” prospect of removal. This is because Britain now has a relocation agreement with Albania and can be treated as a ‘safe’ country. “Those from safe countries like Albania – whose citizens account for 30 per cent of illegal crossings this year – need to see that crossing the Channel in small boats is not a way of life here,” Mr Jenrick said. “The record number of arrivals and the prospect of further increases require us to review the system to ensure our laws are appropriate.” One option being considered is to change the law to treat Albania as an EU country, which would mean migrants from the Balkan state would not have the right to seek asylum. Ministers are also proposing to rewrite Theresa May’s Modern Slavery Act, which has been used by Albanian migrants to stay in the UK while their claims are processed, a process that could take more than a year. Albanians are the largest claimed nationality, with a 90 percent success rate.
