A point that is brought up in the immigration debate quite often, is that Albanians are not refugees. To meet the criteria of refugee status, you have to be fleeing conflict from a war-torn country – with Albania, this is not the case, therefore we possess no international obligations towards them. Any Albanian that crosses the English Channel in a dinghy is an illegal alien and should be treated as such. Instead, we encourage their behaviour by providing free iphones, shoes, clothes, food, also giving them a weekly allowance and putting them up in five star hotels, meanwhile hundreds of British Citizens remain on the streets. This is also relevant as the primary nationality crossing the channel are Albanians.

The Albanian crime gang consisted of four men, Eton Musta, aged 29, Ledian Xhafa, aged 35, Lorenc Cobo, aged 37, and Renato Shyti, aged 23, who were using a house in Neath as a base for its criminal operations; predominantly weed growing and distribution. Police seized more than £14,250 worth of the illicit drug, empty plastic snap-bags (implicating the intention to sell), £530 in cash, five mobile phones, alongside a stash of fake passports using the names of Albanian illegals who are currently serving time in prison for numerous drug offences. A Vauxhall Astra was parked outside the house containing liquid plant food and fertilizer. 

Due to their guilty plea, they were sentenced to 36 weeks in prison, and as with any prison sentence, they will be required to serve half before being eligible for parole. I feel it worth noting, that’s out of a maximum 14 years and an unlimited fine.

According to WalesOnline, Alycia Carpanini, lawyer on behalf of Shyti, said, “the defendant came to the UK in order to pay off debts, and accepted he should have stopped what he was doing when he realized the activities were illegal… upon release from the custodial sentence he was facing he wants to go back to Albania and does not intend to return to the UK.”

Andrew Evans, lawyer on behalf of Musta, said, “the  defendant entered the country illegally ‘with assistance of others’ with the promise of work. The advocate said Musta had been taken to various locations in the UK before finding himself in the Neath property.”

Xhafa and Cobo were also in the UK illegally. 

Immigration works if it’s done right; if it’s skilled immigration and the people we’re bringing over contribute to our communities, typically economically. Though, mass skilled immigration causes an opposite effect and tends to be detrimental to the economy rather than boost it. 

Furthermore, allowing tens of thousands of illegals to cross the channel in a dinghy and then supplying them with more than our own homeless are given – at the expense of the taxpayer – is not skilled immigration. It is simply a stupid policy.

Charity starts at home, never forget that.