Josie Hannett & Alex Bish
An Albanian national who travelled to the UK illegally has told the BBC how his life became "unbearable" after he ended up working on a cannabis farm.
Gzim, who wished to remain anonymous, was one of more than 12,600 Albanians who made the trip to the UK by small boat in 2022 - the peak year for English Channel migrant crossings.
Last year the number of Albanians that made the dangerous journey dropped to just 616 people, following a campaign by the UK and Albanian governments.
Gzim says he is speaking out to warn others, as the UK government relaunches a social media campaign aimed at warning Albanians who enter illegally of possible hardships in the UK.
He says he found a smuggler on TikTok who agreed to help him make the journey to England, and after travelling to France via buses, he arrived in Dunkirk, where a boat was launched to Dover.
He says his cousins, who were already in the UK, paid the smuggler £3,500 for him to cross the channel.
After being placed in a hotel, he says he was able to leave unnoticed to work on a cannabis farm.
He said: "I wanted a better life, to help my family, like all the other people who have done this journey.
"I knew the risks involved with this kind of business, but I hoped that I wouldn't be unlucky."
He says the cannabis farm was broken into and because of this he didn't get paid.
Gzim moved into a construction role where he says he felt forced to take a lower wage - not enough to cover his own expenses and support his family back home.
Five months after arriving in the UK he said it got so "unbearable" he decided to return to Albania.
He added: "I dreamed of other things. I hoped I would make it.
"Nobody wants to leave his homeland. Nobody wants to leave his people and his friends. But in Albania it is a war of survival and I didn't have any other choice."
New social media adverts are highlighting stories of migrants who entered the UK illegally "only to face debt and exploitation".
This approach originally started in 2023 under the Conservative government.
It followed a cooperation agreement signed by the UK and Albania under the previous government to try and reduce illegal migration.
The numbers on small boats had already started to fall before the agreement was struck.
The National Crime Agency said the reduction in crossings is due to a number of different factors, including law enforcement activity, deportations, diminished demand for travel to the UK and potential displacement to other methods.
Last year more than 2,600 people were returned to Albania, more than any other nationality.
Balkans expert Andi Hoxhaj told a committee of MPs in 2022 that he estimated about 40% of people leave Albania for "economic opportunities".
Lavdrim Krashi, an MP in the ruling Socialist Party, said some people had been lured on social media by promises of a better life in Britain.
He told the BBC: "The promotion was made to especially young people to come to the UK and if you make it there, don't worry about any finances because money really grows on trees, and we know that's not the case.
"The numbers travelling illegally has drastically reduced in the last few years, but always more can be done," he said.
"It's not in our interest to lose our young people, we want to make them thrive in the Albanian economy."
Families left behind
But there are also ongoing concerns about Albanians being trafficked into the UK.
They are still among the most common nationalities referred to the National Referral Mechanism as potential modern day slaves.
Jorida Tabaku, an opposition MP from the Democratic Party said: "When people go there they face a different reality.
"A lot of them are paying very much to go to the UK, a lot of them are leaving families behind because they are unemployed men."
Albanian TV journalist Eraldo Harlicaj says depopulation of the country has been an issue for years.
"We have lots of problems here again.
"Nothing has changed about Albania from 2022 when we had the peak of illegal migration," he said.
"Most of the young Albanians who wanted to go to England are in England, so we don't have any more to send."
Since 2022 the British Embassy has invested £6m in a project aimed at stemming the flow of people leaving northern Albania for a life of illegal working in the UK.
The New Perspectives programme is designed to create job and business opportunities.
Vasyl Chornyi, the team leader, said: "There are organised criminal groups using their social media, trying to lure people into trafficking scheme.
"Trying to change the narrative with a positive image that people can make their life here is extremely important," he added.
The project provides business mentoring and coaches people in employment and entrepreneurship skills.
Albert Halilaj, the Mayor of Kukës said: "The number of immigrants going abroad is falling down. The young people of Kukës are not looking to migrate anymore.
"Tourism is the sole focus of the future of Kukës, and i'd like to make a public call to all the immigrants abroad that they can return here and they will find support for their investments in every field."
The migration agreement with Britain has also resulted in closer co-operation to tackle people smuggling.
Head of the Albanian Border and Migration Police, Saimir Boshnjaku, said: "Albanian law enforcement officers have been deployed in the UK, especially in Dover, to support the British authorities".
A network of UK-funded cameras has also been installed on the Albania-Kosovo border to tackle illegal migration and criminal gangs.
The equipment includes a fleet of drones and number plate recognition cameras to recognise British vehicles which criminals use to avoid detection by the local police.
Minister for Europe, Stephen Doughty said: "By working directly with Albanian communities, we are discouraging the dangerous journeys to the UK.
"Together with tougher border controls and cracking down on people-smuggling gangs, the government is focused on the international challenge and delivering on its Plan for Change."
BBC
