A gang operating through a TikTok account called 'Pune të ndryshme Europe' (Different Jobs in Europe) advertises services to Albanian migrants wanting to submit false asylum claims. The gang offers to obtain real statements from the state or hospitals saying the applicant has been threatened in Albania. An undercover Daily Mail reporter contacted the gang and was offered a police statement for €3,000 (£2,616).
The gang promised the document would state that the fictional cousin had been threatened in Albania and include a signature, stamp, and the full name of the police chief who issued it. The gang provided a sample document claiming to be issued by the 'General Directorate of the Albanian State Police' at Korçë police station. According to Daily Mail - News, the undercover reporter described having a relative in a detention centre in London and asked how to get a statement to help him claim asylum.
The gang replied that they could make a statement saying he had problems in Albania for €3,000. The sample letter, as described by Daily Mail - News, stated that a married couple appeared at Korçë Police Station reporting an incident involving three armed individuals. More than 17,000 Albanians claimed asylum in the UK in 2022 before an agreement to speed up returns saw this figure plunge to 2,648 by 2024.
The Home Office now considers Albania safe and rejected 97 per cent of all claims in 2024. It is unclear how many bogus claims have been submitted using these fraudulent letters or which police officers are involved.