Albanians in the United Kingdom

Albanians in the United Kingdom
Shqiptarët në Mbretërien e Bashkuar
Total population
70,000-100,000
Regions with significant populations
London (Barking, Wood Green, Hounslow, Woolwich, Swiss Cottage, Camden), Birmingham, Oxford
Languages
English, Albanian
Religion
Islam (Sunni · Bektashi · Sufism), Christianity, Orthodox Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Albanian diaspora

Albanians in the United Kingdom include immigrants from Albania and ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. The 2011 Census recorded 13,295 Albanian-born residents in England and 120 in Wales,[1] The censuses of Scotland and Northern Ireland recorded 196 and 55 Albanian-born residents respectively.[2][3] A mapping exercise published by the International Organization for Migration in September 2008 states that there are no official estimates of the total number of ethnic Albanians in the UK. The majority of respondents interviewed for the exercise estimated the population to lie between 70,000 and 100,000.[4] Many Albanians are reported to have moved to the UK by pretending to be Kosovans fleeing the Kosovo War.[5]

In June 2017, the National Crime Agency's annual report on organised crime warned that Albanian criminal gangs had "established a high-profile influence within UK organised crime", focusing mainly on the trafficking of cocaine to London. The report noted that "The threat faced from Albanian crime groups is significant. London is their primary hub, but they are established across the UK". It also noted that only 0.8% of organised criminals in the UK are Albanians, with British nationals accounting for 61.6% (23.5% are of unknown nationality). Albanian organised criminals display a readiness to use serious violence, which according to the National Crime Agency makes their impact more troubling, however.[6]

Albanians are amongst the largest groups of irregular immigrants in the UK, and Albanian children are the second largest group receiving help from Barnardo's child trafficking support teams.[6] In 2010, Albanians were not seen as a significantly at-risk group, but in 2015 Barnardo's estimated that Albanians accounted for a quarter of children allocated an advocate under its child trafficking support scheme. Some are forced to work, particularly on building sites, but the majority are exploited for criminal activities.[7]

Albanians seeking asylum in the UK regularly cite blood feuds as the reason that it is unsafe for them to return to Albania. The number of Albanian asylum applicants rose from 173 in 2008 to 1,809 in 2015. The vast majority of these applications are rejected.[5]

Notable people

Arts and entertainment

Sport

See also

References

  1. ↑ "2011 Census: QS213EW Country of birth (expanded), regions in England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "Country of birth (detailed)" (PDF). National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  3. ↑ "Country of Birth - Full Detail: QS206NI". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "Albania & Kosovo: Mapping exercise" (PDF). International Organization for Migration. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-10-14. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  5. 1 2 Doward, Jamie (4 June 2016). "The fear and feuds driving Albanians to the Kent coast". The Observer. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  6. 1 2 Weaver, Matthew (29 June 2017). "Albanian gangs have significant control over UK cocaine market, says crime agency". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  7. ↑ Doward, Jamie (17 October 2015). "Surge in Albanian child slaves trafficked to Britain". The Observer. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
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