Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a major crackdown on people smuggling gangs, with British drones set to target criminal networks operating across the Western Balkans.
The announcement comes during his historic visit to Albania – the first by a UK Prime Minister.
During the two-day visit to Tirana, Starmer will unveil plans to strengthen the UK’s presence in the region, with a particular focus on disrupting trafficking routes and intercepting illegal migration before it reaches British shores.
The UK will expand its Joint Migration Task Force, previously working with Albania and Kosovo, to now include North Macedonia and Montenegro.
Officials say this expanded task force will play a key role in shutting down a well-used migration route through Europe to the UK. Starmer is meeting with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to agree on a series of enhanced security and migration measures.
Among the new initiatives are improved DNA-sharing programmes, which have already led to the identification of 55 serious criminals in the UK, including murderers and rapists.
Further efforts will be made to prevent deported Albanians from re-entering the UK, with investment in employment programmes to support reintegration.
During his visit, the Prime Minister will tour the Port of Durrës, where British and Albanian officials are working together to disrupt human trafficking networks and deter irregular migration. The UK is donating two forgery detection machines to help Albanian police identify fake or stolen passports.
In addition, a new programme will be launched to help returned Albanian nationals access employment opportunities, alongside a £1 million investment in forensic capabilities in Albania to assist in identifying dangerous offenders.
Government data shows that 5,294 Albanians were returned from the UK in 2024. Since a returns agreement was put in place by the previous administration, the number of Albanians arriving via small boats has dropped by 95%.
The announcement comes just days after Starmer introduced a new migration white paper aimed at reducing net migration by around 100,000 per year. Key changes include scrapping social care visas and requiring degree-level qualifications for most skilled worker routes.
Tomorrow, the Prime Minister will attend the European Political Community summit, where he will lead a roundtable on defence and security, further underlining the UK’s commitment to tackling international crime and strengthening border controls.
