"Mass migration has caused Kukësi and the surrounding mountain villages to be labeled 'ghost towns' as many young people and families have left. The region in northeastern Albania near the border with Kosovo has the highest percentage of the population living illegally in the UK or seeking asylum, compared to any other area of the former communist country. This is part of the article that DailyMail has dedicated to illegal immigration in Albania to Great Britain, specifically Kukës.
The article continues with an initiative of the British government to convince Albanians to return to their homeland.
"The new mayor of Kukes has pledged to spend a large chunk of the UK's money to persuade people to return by offering tax breaks and grants to set up tourism-related businesses, which he sees as key to boost the economy of the region. But a MailOnline investigation has revealed that many teenagers seem unimpressed by the measures and still want to get to Britain as soon as possible because they believe they will be able to find work easily and earn much more there. , the article says.
They tell the story of a young man named Dardan, who wants to leave Great Britain at any cost.
"A 15-year-old boy called Dardan, who was with friends at the Costa cafe in Kukes, named after the UK cafe chain, vowed to try to get to the UK once he finished high school in July .
He said: "In Albania we don't have jobs or workplaces. It is a poor country. I just want to go to England because I know the language. I have family members on my mother's and father's side who are already there. Maybe I'll get there by truck or boat. It will cost me thousands of euros, but I can borrow the money and pay it back by working. I want to work in England as an electrician. I learned the trade from my electrician uncle. All my friends think the same way. We see no future for us here. My parents understand, but they say I have to finish school first. There are only better options in the UK. Here, you can do nothing.
If I have to ask for asylum, I will tell them that I have a very old house, my parents don't work and I have a sick brother. If they send me back, I'll try again. I don't want to listen to people trying to make me stay. I just want to go", says Dardani.
Fjoli Zhubi, 17 years old, thinks the same as Dardani.
"My parents don't want me to go, but I won't have a choice if I don't find a job. My chances of getting a job here are only 50/50 because the economy is not good. About 80 percent of people who graduate here remain unemployed. If possible I will try to apply for a visa to go to the UK legally but I may have to pay to get on a truck. I have relatives in England and I know I will find a job there," he said.
Musli Llehsi, 60 years old, who owns the Amerika hotel in Kukës, said: "I am very worried. I can't find people to work for me. All my former waiters are in the UK or Germany"
Official figures show that the number of Albanians seeking asylum in the UK rose to nearly 16,000 last year - more than the total for the rest of Europe - with the majority arriving in small boats. (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
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