On his first official visit to Albania, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that the UK is engaging in discussions with various countries to establish overseas "return hubs" for failed asylum seekers. This initiative forms part of a broader strategy to manage immigration and address the increasing number of people crossing the English Channel. Since January, over 12,000 individuals have attempted the crossing, setting 2025 on a trajectory to become a record year for such incidents. During a press conference in Albania, Sir Keir, alongside Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, confirmed these ongoing talks but refrained from specifying which countries were involved or potential locations for these hubs. He described the return hubs as a significant innovation in handling failed asylum cases, emphasizing their importance. The BBC has previously highlighted that these proposals focus on the Western Balkans, including countries such as Albania, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, Prime Minister Rama clearly stated that Albania is not part of these discussions, citing a unique relationship with Italy which involves a similar but separate arrangement. The proposed return hubs would specifically target asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected and have exhausted all appeals within the UK. This approach marks a departure from the former Conservative government's Rwanda scheme, which Sir Keir discontinued. The Rwanda scheme involved sending migrants to Rwanda for asylum claim processing, but it was scrapped due to various challenges. Italy has a comparable scheme with Albania, where failed asylum seekers are sent to Albania while awaiting deportation. However, this plan has faced delays due to legal challenges. Prime Minister Rama categorized the arrangement with Italy as exceptional due to their special bilateral relationship, and mentioned that Albania had declined similar requests from other countries, reaffirming their commitment to their agreement with Italy. Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp criticized Sir Keir's visit to Albania, referring to it as an "embarrassment" following Prime Minister Rama's public rejection of the UK's return hub proposal in Albania. Philp questioned the purpose of the visit, suggesting that it failed to yield the expected outcomes. Despite these criticisms, the UK government reported a significant reduction in Albanian small boat arrivals, citing a 95% decrease over the past three years and a doubling in the number of Albanians returned in the past two years. Immigration remains a central focus for the UK government, which also introduced plans to manage legal migration levels in a recent White Paper. Sir Keir defended these initiatives, asserting that they aim to regain control over the UK's immigration system. He dismissed claims that these measures were a reaction to the rising popularity of Reform UK, a party led by Nigel Farage, which has made gains in recent local elections. Reform UK's platform includes proposals to halt non-essential immigration and redirect small boats in the Channel back to France. While in Albania, Sir Keir also announced enhanced cooperation with the country to combat illegal migration and organized crime. He criticized the previous government's handling of border control and expressed his determination to regain control. This renewed focus involves dismantling criminal gangs involved in human smuggling, an effort that has benefited from increased collaboration with Albania. The UK plans to expand the Joint Migration Task Force, which coordinates intelligence and operations against people smugglers in the Western Balkans. This expansion will now include North Macedonia. The enhanced cooperation aims to address what the UK government describes as a "revolving door effect," where migrants return home, evade law enforcement, and attempt to leave the country again. Overall, Sir Keir's visit to Albania underscores the UK's commitment to managing immigration through international cooperation and innovative strategies, despite the challenges and criticisms faced. The discussions about overseas return hubs represent a key component of this approach, although their implementation remains uncertain amid diplomatic negotiations and legal considerations.