The main reason for fleeing the country is the economic situation, but not the only one.

“The reasons for young people leaving are complex, it is no longer only purely economic, but the economic reason is the main one,” said Duka. “Quality of life is also a reason.”

According to him, in Albania there are no possibilities for professional development, which is necessary in his profession. Duka has completed six years of studies in general medicine and is waiting to specialize, which requires developing expertise in modern medicine. Duka added that due to the failing of the educational and scientific system in Albania, specialization is not possible.

This is because Albanian universities are consistently ranked among the weakest not only in Europe but in the Western Balkans.

In February 2023 the Spanish group Cybermetrics Lab, a research group belonging to the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), the largest public research body in Spain, prepared a worldwide ranking of universities. In the list, the University of Tirana was ranked 3,975th in the world. Fourteen universities from Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina were ranked higher.

Migen Qiraxhi, an expert on education and youth issues who works for Civic Attitude, a local organization in Tirana, said, “The main thing is unemployment, or low wages in cases of employment, which make it difficult to afford living, making it impossible to even own an apartment.” He noted that the lack of sports centers, youth centers, theaters, museums, botanical or zoological gardens, contribute to this decision.

Qiraxhi added that the country has major problems with corruption and that the state has proven incapable of managing essential services such as education, health and public safety.

Unwanted migrants in the U.K.

In June, July and August, the British press repeatedly wrote about Albanians arriving in the U.K. by boat.

Facing a new increase in migration, in July 2022 Albania and the U.K. signed a memorandum of cooperation where they pledged to increase joint work to prevent Albanians crossing into the U.K. through the English Channel.” The U.K would return undocumented Albanian immigrants from the port of Dover.

But the Albanians “were lucky.”

At the end of September, the U.K. government’s office for Immigration, Security and Law declared invalid the agreement that then Secretary of State Priti Patel signed with her Albanian counterpart Bledar Çuçi.

According to the decision, any migrant who entered the U.K. illegally, including Albanians, should be dealt with using standard procedures and not on the basis of their nationality. The U.K. government confirmed that it has no right to accelerate the deportation of Albanian asylum seekers after their arrival. This decision came after refugee charity Care4Calais challenged the policy in court.

The decisions made by the U.K. government were accused of being against human rights. At the climax of this debate, the Albanian government was involved in an exchange of harsh accusations with the U.K. government, as Suella Braverman, the current Secretary of State, labeled Albanians as “criminals.”

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama condemned the use of his country’s citizens as “scapegoats” for the failed migration policies of the U.K., saying that the government must fight organized crime of all nationalities.

The dangerous dream across the sea

Why do hundreds of Albanians flee to the U.K. by boat?

Isa Myzyraj

The dangerous dream across the sea

Why do hundreds of Albanians flee to the U.K. by boat?

Isa Myzyraj