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Britain's £8 million scheme/ The Sun: Out of 200, only 8 prisoners have been transferred to Albanian prisons so far
2025-03-17 13:17:37 / AKTUALITET
The number of Albanians transferred from English prisons to Albanian ones is revealed.
It is about just 8 Albanian prisoners who have returned to their country of birth to serve their sentences in an 8 million pound scheme that aims to return 200 murderers, rapists and drug lords, writes "The Sun".
In an article dedicated to Albanian prisoners, "The Sun" writes that only 8 criminals have returned, while dozens more are expected.
The two-year scheme, launched in 2023, was set to double the number of foreign offenders deported to 200. However, sources said only 8 of the 67 listed have been flown back to Tirana.
The repatriation plan foresees the UK paying Albania £4 million a year to repatriate its most violent prisoners.
The initial agreement included 12 murderers, 8 rapists and more than 100 others accused of drug and firearms offenses.
A latecomer to Albania was drug kingpin Klodjan Çopja, who was flown back last March to serve his 17-year sentence in an Albanian prison. Erald Mema, who was sentenced to 25 years in 2018 for his leading role in a “major” cocaine smuggling operation, has also returned to Albania. He is believed to have chosen to return because the Albanian parole board could grant him an earlier release than he would have in Britain.
Both are said to be being held in Drenova prison, Albania's most secure prison, where they will remain until they serve half of their sentence in custody, as they would have done in the UK, writes "The Sun".
The deal saves around two-thirds of the daily cost of 109 pounds to keep them locked up in Britain, while a cell costs just 32 pounds a day in Albania.
But many other prisoners have not been sent home despite being identified for removal. This includes Ibrahim Bezati, 38, who was jailed in 2021. The “dangerous sexual predator” was jailed for 17 years and will still serve most of it in Albania as part of an exchange deal, British media reports.
Another awaiting deportation is convicted murderer Dorian Pirija, 36, who was jailed for 19 years in 2021 after plotting to kill a rival drug dealer in Hartlepool. Hamawand Ali Hussein, 30, was shot in the head with a gun in 2019. Pirija planned to kill him to expand his drug dealing business.
Rapist Klodjan Samurri, 31, is also expected to return after sexually assaulting a woman.
Most transfer obstacles are said to be due to backlogs in the Albanian judicial system, which must recognize a British conviction before a transfer can be completed.
Figures show that there are 1,273 Albanians in British prisons, more than any other foreign nationality.
"The Sun" writes that earlier this month it revealed how Albanian mafia police killer Maksim Cela, 59, had been released on bail, pending deportation.
Government sources stressed that the UK only paid Albania a fraction of the £8m it paid each time a criminal was deported. The money would be used to pay for the renovation of Albanian prisons, extra security, workshops, rehabilitation equipment and guard training.
More than 1,000 Albanians, including illegal immigrants, have returned to their country under other joint agreements since 2022.
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