Most Albanian asylum seekers granted UK visas are trafficked women

There was quite a scary report in the Times today about how rampant criminal gangs are, and how hard it is to get justice etc.. But also (not reported by UK media who seem to ignore European news) that other countries have experienced Albanian gangs using migrant routes to set up networks in other cities, with some sucess.

Seems to be another instance where the UK Government seems to think we really can exist as an island and not be connected, impacted by what is happening elsewhere.

We never seem prepared for anything. News story yesterday that the Government is employee people who have been working at check outs etc., which is not to say they couldn't do the job, but 24 hours training isn't really the basis for making asylum applications. No wonder they are only getting through 1.3 applications a week.

But to add I do think that communities that are mainly made up of men does create problems for immediate neighbours, as no doubt other countries have experienced when workers from the UK go to other countries and form an outside male community.

I cant find any specific projects offering support for Albanian Women escaping domestic violence.

There seems to have been some sort of short lived partnership with Solace Women's Aid, not sure if it offers ongiong support. :( shpresaprogramme.org/services/information/domestic-violence/

Some research into the particular problems for women and male violence in Albania:

1. This paper argues that, in many cases, asylum-seekers from Albania who are victims of domestic violence will not be able to avail themselves of a sufficiency of protection or an internal relocation alternative on return. This will be the case, in particular, for victims of domestic violence who are from poor families, who lack a social support network and/or who have physical or mental disabilities. The paper argues that the Home Office Country Policy and Information Note (CPIN) is wrong where it suggests that such claims can properly be certified as “clearly unfounded” under section 94 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.
2. The paper highlights evidence that victims of domestic violence face significant hurdles in obtaining domestic violence protection orders; that such orders are often ineffective even where they are granted; and that victims can be traced easily in another part of the country through word of mouth. It argues that poverty and lack of a support network are major barriers to accessing effective protection. It also highlights evidence that, aside from the risk from the original abuser, some victims of domestic violence will be vulnerable to trafficking, even if they have not been trafficked in the past. It suggests that when considering whether a victim of domestic violence will be adequately protected on return to Albania, decision-makers should apply the factors in TD and AD (Trafficked women) CG [2016] UKUT 92 (IAC) by analogy.

Murders in Albania increased by 13% in 2021. Women and girls killed by their partner, ex-partner or family member made up close to one third of all cases. In most cases, victims had already been granted protection from the police, such as taking out restraining orders against their assailant.

The data reveals a disturbing lack of enforcement regarding domestic violence against women, and the insufficiency of Albania’s legal framework to deal with the issue.

www.eu-ocs.com/pandemic-sees-worsening-domestic-violence-against-women-in-albania/

re various comments, I am not saying what is permissable to post, just that in talking about the problem overall the specific situation of women escaping male violence gets lost. It would help if mumsnet talk forum enabled threaded posts, eg being able to group comments about:
women refugees escaping male violence
economic migrants
human trafficking
government incompetence
gorvernment failure to invest in basics means any additional demands create problems
and so on

And I was asked what I would want. But I am old enough to know what I want and what I can get or expect are two very different things.

Did anyone listen to any answers this afternoon?

Just a reminder that the title of this was asylum seekers granted UK visas

It seems that the screaming headlines have worked to the extent that we cant have a proper discussion about asylum seekers, including the fact that the Rwanda proposal is in breach of the Human Rights convention that the UK signed.

As to the earlier remark about what my opinion was, is that the UK would do far better to face up to helping sort out the problems it created in other countries, eg Syria and doing something to pay back the benefits to countries we have profited from in the past, so that the peole who live there can attain a life style that means that dont think coming to richer europeans countries is there only hope of a better life.

But as others have said, as a country how is it not possible to sort out women fleeing violence and needing shelter / asylum?

Everything is always going to be worse than it need be if we cant manage the basics, eg have enough affordable housing, enough schools, and an NHS that is leaking staff because the working conditions and pay is so awful.

In 2020, there were around 6 asylum applications for every 10,000 people living in the UK. Across the EU27 there were 11 asylum applications for every 10,000 people. When compared with EU countries, the UK ranked 14th out of the individual countries in terms of the number of asylum applications per capita.
commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn01403/

There are significantly more applications for asylum than the number of people who come to the UK through organised refugee resettlement schemes or as close family members of recognised refugees.

According to Home Office quarterly immigration statistics, between June 2021 and June 2022:
1,622 people came through a refugee resettlement scheme.
5,290 people came through refugee family reunion rules.
63,089 asylum applications were submitted.
14,062 asylum seekers were given permission to stay (rising to 15,716 after appeal).

But in addition to the above, significant numbers of people have come through the visa route for people from Hong Kong with British National (Overseas) status (133,124 visas granted since January 2021), and the two Ukraine Schemes (125,900 arrivals since March 2022). And so far this year, around 11,300 people have been granted indefinite leave to remain under the two bespoke schemes for Afghan nationals and family members.
commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9630/

There are fewer foreign nationals living in the UK than there are people born in other countries. In 2021 there were approximately 6.0 million people with non-British nationality living in the UK and 9.6 million people who were born abroad.

The UK’s migrant population is concentrated in London. Around 35% of people living in the UK who were born abroad live in the capital city. Similarly, around 37% of people living in London were born outside the UK, compared with 14% for the UK as a whole.

After London, the English regions with the highest proportions of their population born abroad were the South East (13.4%), the West Midlands (13.9%), the East of England (12.9%), and the East Midlands (12.7%). In each of these regions the proportion of people born abroad was lower than for England as a whole (15.5%), which is skewed by London.

Of all the nations and regions of the UK, the North East had the lowest proportion of its population born abroad (5.8%), followed by Wales (6.5%), Northern Ireland (7.0%), and Scotland (9.3%).
commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06077/

I started this thread more because I wanted us to think before allowing emotive and false headlines to influence our feelings - and the voters as a whole.

So there are 2 totally different categories. Those seeking asylum - and I wanted to emphasise that for Albania those accepted as genuine asylum seekers were / are women whose claims are accepted.

Then there are those who are coming as economic migrants, some of whom may be being exploited by gangs. They are unlikely to be accepted as asylum seekers and as likely to disappear from the system, so newspapers shouting about 10,000 Albanian men arriving by boat isn't the same as being able to say that the UK has granted 10,000 Albanian men.

But surely what we can all agree on is that whatever system the Government has is place just isn't working. Genuine asylum seekers wait far too long in terrible conditions to have their claims assessed and during that time aren't allowed to work, so survive on a pittance and as reported in the news today is such unsafe conditions that rape and sexual assault of women and children happens.

Part of the problem is the really petty behaviour between France and the UK. Why doesn't the UK have assessment centres in France, although yet again given the complete dog's dinner that the UK Government made of assessing Ukrainian refugees it seems likely that these would fail as well.

Another problem is the fact that the UK wont allow temporary work visas. Many businesses including agriculural ones want this. But ideology is taking precident over real life. Like Liz Truss' financial package.

And Suella Braverman's decision to stop booking hotel space. Then there is a panic because conditions get out of control. Then government or the agencies they pass the buck too, start taking expensive and unsustainable decisions or just totally fail which ends up with a coach load of migrants dumper at Victoria Station.

Just as a side note, but also about how duplicitous politicians are, it has only recently be revealed that overseas aid money that is usually spent to help communities in others countries has been used this year to pay for Ukrainian refugees temporarily living here. So in other words overseas aid in actual practice has been cut.