British tabloid " The Sun " reports that only 13 Albanian prisoners have been sent home as part of an 8 million pound deal aimed at deporting 200 Albanians who have committed serious crimes in the UK.
The program was launched 3 years ago to force murderers, rapists and drug traffickers to serve time in their own country while reducing costs to British taxpayers.
According to "The Sun", Albanians have been the largest foreign nationality in prisons over the past 7 years, with around 940 prisoners making up approximately 9-12% of non-British offenders.
An investigation by The Sun on Sunday revealed that five Albanians are being detained every day in the country. Many of them are illegal immigrants who arrive in small boats. Others had paid up to £20,000 to be smuggled in by lorry.
The UK and Albania announced the transfer of prisoners in 2023, which is expected to cost £8m over the first two years. But a source at the Albanian Ministry of Justice said: “The aim was to transfer 200 Albanian prisoners serving more than four years in prison, but only 13 have been transferred so far.”
Among those still awaiting deportation are 15 murderers serving life sentences. One of them is Koci Selamaj, 41, who received a minimum of 36 years in prison for the murder of teacher Sabina Nessa, 28, in a park in South East London in 2021.
He attacked two prison officers at HMP Frankland in County Durham in May 2023.
Housing a prisoner in UK prisons costs taxpayers an average of £56,000 a year.
Speaking about the prisoner transfer scheme in 2023, former Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said: “This deal will speed up the removal of these offenders and give victims confidence that serious criminals will continue to face justice.”
Albania asked the UK government to provide £8 million to strengthen its prison system to implement the scheme. The government agreed to provide £4 million a year, but has stressed that it only pays a portion of it for each prisoner returned.
It is believed that the delays are due to backlogs in Albanian courts, which must recognize the sentence handed down in Britain.
The British government stated: "Prisoner transfer agreements are just one way of getting foreign criminals out of our prisons. Over 11,700 have been removed since July 2024." ©LAPSI.al
