In a televised interview, King-Smith said that from January to May there were 90% fewer Albanians compared to last year.

“I am really delighted that the agreement reached in December between the two prime ministers and the follow-up agreements tell us that we are strong partners. In six months, not only have more Albanians been repatriated to Albania, more than 1,800, but we see dozens of citizens return to Albania every week. This is important not because we want people to stay here, but because we need to fight illegal migration,” he said.

“If people want to go to Great Britain, they should follow the legitimate path. Also, this agreement allows us to change the numbers and the prime ministers have emphasized that the numbers have dropped significantly. From January to May, there are 90% fewer Albanians compared to last year and this is very important. And 20% drop overall. These are very important changes. The agreement with Albania is the reason why we believe that there is a very positive signal for the future, and that this agreement can help curb these negative dimensions,” said Alastair King-Smith.

“When it comes to sanctions and actions to be taken against those involved in criminal activity and corruption, we follow a balanced approach. This is not targeting any individual, as Lord Peach made clear when he announced the first wave of sanctions in July last year. As you know, when it comes to UK entry restrictions, as in this case, we don’t disclose names, so not everyone has made public their involvement in this wave of sanctions. But, as I said before, there will be further waves of sanctions against those involved in criminal activity and corruption,” said Alastair King-Smith.

According to him, the sanctions do not target individuals, they are meant to encourage accountability.

“No one stands above the law. It should apply to everyone in a balanced way, not just be focused on one political party or group. These are decisions taken by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, based on the information and evidence we have. The point here is that this can apply to all political groups, it can apply to businessmen, to criminals and other individuals, and it does not target a group of individuals or political parties,” said Alastair King-Smith./m.m/sm/