Tirana, June 28, 2025 – Prime Minister Edi Rama has reacted with bitter irony to the statement of former British MP Nigel Farage, who in an interview with GB News claimed that “one in 50 Albanians in Great Britain is in prison”. Through a post on the “X” network, Rama called this figure “another post-Brexit hoax” and described the attempt to sell the horror as fact as “absurd”.
Rejection of statistics
Rama underlined that, even if we were to accept that all Albanians in prison were truly convicted (although many of them are affected by the outdated visa system), the crime rate among the Albanian community in the United Kingdom remains lower than that of the local population.
Diplomatic challenge and offer
The Prime Minister called on Farage to prove the official figures: “If 1 in 50 is reality, I will send them all back to Albania,” Rama declared. Otherwise, Farage would be invited as an “honorary friend” to Tirana to experience “sunshine, hospitality and the real facts.”
Tense context
This clash adds drama to the debate between British and Albanian officials on immigration, crime and public perceptions. Farage's harsh rhetoric, a symbol of Brexit, is juxtaposed with Rama's diplomatic sense of humor, which aims to defeat disinformation by offering members of the Albanian community a reputational defense and an invitation to lasting friendship.
