We are committed to delivering justice for victims and safer streets for our communities. Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced and, where appropriate, we will pursue their deportation.

The latest published information shows that in the year ending March 2026, 1,557 Albanian foreign national offenders (FNOs) were returned. This was the largest single nationality cohort of FNOs returned during this period, and an increase of 1% on the number of Albanian FNO returns over the same period 12 months prior.

This information can be found in table ‘Ret_02b’ of the ‘Returns Summary Tables, Year Ending March 2023 which can be found at Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation

We take the issue of preventing foreign criminals entering the UK extremely seriously, and we continue to strengthen our borders so that we can prevent crime and protect the public, delivering on this Government’s commitment totackle foreign criminality.

For example, those required to obtain a visa to enter the UK are checkedagainst a range of police, security and immigration databases for details of any UK or overseas criminal record. All applicants are required to provide details of their criminal history. Where it is found that they failed to declare relevantoffences/convictions, their application will be refused, and they will be subject to a ten-year ban from applying to enter the UK.

There was a single return flight to Albania, and this was to enable an official to attend a conference of the joint United Nations and World Health Organisation Pan European Programme for Transport, Health and the Environment. A single official at HEO grade attended and no ministers or senior officials were present. The cost of the flight was £144.96. There was no option to attend this event remotely.

Since 31 December 2024, six Albanian national offenders have been transferred to Albania under the bi-lateral Prison Transfer Agreement. Prisoner transfer is just one scheme where foreign national offenders can be removed early from prison, and it is more suited to those serving longer sentences. The Government pursues removal through all available mechanisms. The latest Home Office data indicate that 1,625 Albanian foreign national offenders were removed from England and Wales in 2024.

The UK has returns agreements with these four countries that facilitate the return of individuals with no legal basis to remain in the UK. We continue to work with each of these countries on returns and to manage irregular migration.

This Government is committed to maintaining and improving returns cooperation with all countries to which we are seeking to remove those with no legal basis to remain in the UK. Most people return voluntarily without their return needing to be enforced but for some enforced returns, confirmation of identity and nationality, including for the provision of travel documentation, needs to be obtained before removal can be affected. There is a limited number of countries where this process can be challenging. We continue to seek opportunities to build returns co-operation with these four countries through official and ministerial engagement, operational returns arrangements and agreements.

The UK has a close bilateral partnership with Albania as a likeminded North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally. The Prime Minister visited Albania on 15 May and agreed an updated strategic partnership to strengthen cooperation on defence and security, justice, culture and economic growth. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Permanent Under-Secretary visited Albania on 16 and 17 July to further bilateral relations, advance UK growth objectives and support continuing joint operational collaboration to tackle the shared challenge of organised immigration crime. The Foreign Secretary and I have met on a number of times with Foreign Minister Hasani in the last year to discuss shared priorities. The UK looks forward to hosting Albania at the Berlin Process Summit this autumn.

Between 17 July and 31 December 2024 (the latest period for which validated figures are available), four Albanian national offenders were transferred to Albania under the bi-lateral Prison Transfer Agreement. Prisoner transfer is just one scheme where foreign national offenders can be removed early from prison and it is more suited to those serving longer sentences. The Government pursues removal through all available mechanisms and during 2024, 1,610 Albanian foreign national offenders were removed from England and Wales, up 7% from the previous year.

The UK promotes free and fair elections and works closely with international community partners, including the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in support of democratic process and structures in Albania. The UK contributed observers to the ODIHR-led observation mission. We share the mission's preliminary conclusions that the election was "competitive and professionally conducted but took place in a highly polarized environment and contestants did not enjoy a level playing field".

It is important that deficiencies in electoral practices and reported election irregularities are addressed to support public confidence in the process. We continue to encourage the Albanian authorities and Central Election Commission to make best use of ODIHR expertise and implement outstanding recommendations.

The UK promotes free and fair elections and works closely with international community partners, including the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in support of democratic process and structures in Albania. The UK contributed observers to the ODIHR-led observation mission. We share the mission's preliminary conclusions that the election was "competitive and professionally conducted but took place in a highly polarized environment and contestants did not enjoy a level playing field".

It is important that deficiencies in electoral practices and reported election irregularities are addressed to support public confidence in the process. We continue to encourage the Albanian authorities and Central Election Commission to make best use of ODIHR expertise and implement outstanding recommendations.

The next European Political Community summit will take place in Tirana on 16 May. We will be able to share further information about the Summit after it takes place.

Total trade in goods and services between the UK and Albania was worth £358 million in 2024, an increase of 11% or £35 million in current prices from 2023.

DBT actively works to resolve barriers to trade affecting companies exporting to Albania, and our trade relationship is underpinned by the Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement (PTCA), signed in 2021. This agreement offers generous trade preferences and places a strong emphasis on cooperation across key trade themes that are common to major trade agreements. We look forward to convening the next PTCA Joint Committee in the near future.

Increasing the numbers of foreign national offender returns from our prisons is a priority for this government. We are working with international partners to achieve this.

In the last six months, the Foreign Secretary discussed criminal justice cooperation with Poland when he met Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski in December 2024 and with Albania when he met Albanian Foreign Minister Igli Hasani on 19 March.

The UK values the European Political Community (EPC) as a format that brings together leaders from across Europe for frank discussions about shared challenges such as European security and irregular migration. The UK has played a central role in the EPC since its inception, particularly through hosting at Blenheim Palace in July 2024. We welcome Albania's hosting of the EPC on 16 May. Attendance at the EPC is at leader-level only and cannot be delegated. We will set out the Prime Minister's travel plans in the usual way.

Small boat crossings by Albanian nationals have reduced each year since their peak in 2022. This government is committed to working with the Albanian government to further reduce these numbers, including through communications campaigns that demonstrate the dangers of these crossings, and ensuring that Albanian nationals with no right to be in the UK are returned efficiently to Albania.

We also continue to work with other international partners to target the people smugglers who exploit migrants for profit. The Home Secretary has convened an international summit focussed on Organised Immigration Crime, bringing together Interior Ministers and law enforcement experts, including from Albania, to develop our combined response to the gangs who facilitate this vile trade in human lives.

In addition to work to disrupt Organised Immigration Crime and address the long-term drivers of migration, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Home Office and the Ministry of Justice work together to enable the return of eligible Albanian foreign national offenders to serve the remainder of their sentence in Albania. As part of an arrangement signed under the previous government in 2023 to implement the 2021 Prisoner Transfer Agreement, £4.3 million was committed over three years to support the modernisation of the Albanian prison system. We are reviewing the operation of the Prisoner Transfer Agreement with Albania signed by the previous Government to understand how more prisoners can be sent back to serve their time in Albanian prisons. During 2024,1,610 Albanian FNOs were removed from England and Wales - the highest number of any nationality and up 7% from the previous year.

The UK and Albania have established a close and productive relationship on irregular migration and returns over recent years. 2024 saw 616 Albanian nationals arrive in the UK from Albania by small boat, a reduction from 12,658 in 2022. In the same year, 5,294 Albanian nationals were returned, an increase from 2,035 in 2022.

UK officials, including staff from our Embassy in Tirana, are working with international partners on monitoring plans ahead of May's Parliamentary elections in Albania, and the UK will be contributing monitors to join the scheduled Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) International Monitoring Mission.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) remains a consistent supporter of efforts to tackle corruption in Albania, through diplomatic engagement and programmes funded by the UK's Integrated Security Fund (ISF) and FCDO Official Development Assistance (ODA). Ongoing support includes working with Albania's security and justice institutions to strengthen accountability and transparency, support to lawmakers to improve the effectiveness of legislation, and empowering journalists to act as effective watchdogs for corruption in public procurement and appointments.