More than 80,000 refugees fled to Britain claiming to be victims of the war in Kosovo, but were they all genuine?

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In my view, the UK Border Agency, and many associated organisations, such as those dishing out public funds without proper checks in place, are the real culprits. It is widely accepted that most Albanian immigrants are economic migrants. I for one do not blame them for not only seeking a better life for themselves, but also, in many cases, for supporting their families back in Albania. Those Albanians that came to the UK pretending to be Kosovans, Serbians, Macedonians, etc., should be given a chance to come forth with their real identities. Surely in today’s world of increasing terrorism it is in the government’s interest to know the real identities of people who are in this country? The UKBA has approached many programmes to regularise the stay of illegal immigrants, such as the Family ILR Exercise and the recent Legacy Programme, in a slapdash manner. It has effectively been a lottery as to who got granted leave and who did not. Even two brothers with very similar histories in the UK, including success in integrating into society here, may have had different outcomes via say the Legacy Programme, with one being granted leave and the other being asked to leave the UK. The UKBA should simply grant leave to those thousands of Albanians who have been here say for more than 8 years as long as they do not have a criminal record. They should also allow them to reveal their true identity without them facing repercussions. It is in the UK’s interest for them to do so.

- Avnish Sood, London, UK, 09/05/2011 07:37
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speaking of greeks, setling here as cypriots, turks setling as turkish cypriots, morokans as palestinians, somalis as bengalis, chinese as north koreans....whats the big outrage albanians as kosovans?! its been going for decades or more.

i came here in 1998 .. on my interview i said i m looking for work - which made me ''worthless'' for this country;) but they still let me get in .
with young and fresh anergy from albania and other countries , much needed here, will aswell come crime and problems .. british do it in costa del sol, spanish do it in france, irish do it everywhere and some alabanian crocks trying to match up or get to the top.
i got a house here and my albanian wife 2 years in the uk i had to pay 400 quid each month for english courses..she was the only one paying, all the rest paying 10 quid or no thing. its the system that is lazy , the human being as it was born will try to better themselves some in a good way some in anyway'
Albanians dont hate england, many houses i go we got english and obviously albanian flags....you dont find many english flags in english houses anyway

- rad, london, 22/11/2010 10:30
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I run my own business, and I was in a relationship with an albanian girl for five years. It was five years wasted trying to integrate with her and her family (also resident in the UK on benefits immediately), whereas it should have been HER integrating with UK standards. She inadvertantly did more to convince me that they should not be here than any racist opinions I had ever heard previously. She is the niece of a very high ranking albanian political figure, yet she (and her family) thrived on lies, half-truths, and downright dishonesty. She originally worked as a translator and told me that MANY of the 'Kosovans' in the UK admittted to her privately that they were actuallly albanian.

- Phil, Rochester, 02/10/2010 15:51
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I have had terrible trouble with an albanian woman and her gang, she emmigrated her 11 years ago with her children and her husband, she has never worked and has sat on benefits the whole time she has been here, her son is a persistant theif and causes the local community great grief, she is a bully and has often tried to gang up on me with her friends, I don't understand how she got a british passport, she is also not from Kosovo, I am at my wits end and am being forced to move away just can't take anymore, police won't do anything because its her word against mine, I wish they could just send her back.

- Kit, London, 20/05/2010 09:13
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I don't agree they should have done what they did, they must be very desperate, my husband to be and the father of my child has tried on several occasions to try and enter the uk by using all the correct procedures but on everytime has been declined, the reason they give is absolutely ridiculous, which is 'they assume he'll stay in the uk and won't return back to Greece (he is half Greek/Albanian)' I have it in black and white stating their stupid refusal. And with all of the illegal immigrants in this country they can't allow my partner to even make a visit to see his child be born. The UK is going crazy!

- Anonymous, West midlands, 21/02/2010 16:37
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I am one of those who have lied because we were told that by others that we could get asylum granted. I took that chance I was 16 years old. I have started my life here am very happy, I am proud to be british and obay the law. I would be happy to pay a fine because we did lie and I wouldn't want anything more than to have my indentity as I was born. I feel bad that I have done this but i did it because I wanted a better life for myself and my family. I got married, I have kids I and my husand work I am very happy and greatfull to this country and how it's helped us all. I pray that we do not get sent back because our lives are here now.

I would be happy to pay a fine or do community service but not get sent back.

- Anon, London, 10/02/2010 20:25
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I agree that declaring yourself a victim of a the Kosovan War on the surface seems crude and shameful however, one must look at the bigger picture...

How did it get to the point where they have mortages, wives and children? The answer lies at the Home Office's door.. and quite frankly the right checks were obviously not made. You cannot send people 'home' if you have given them the right to remain here.
I have researched Albanian migration to the UK, and to be honest their numbers are nothing compared to other groups that come to this country with bogus claims of human rights abuse in their native countries. Albanians are no different to other groups and cases.
Furthermore, Albanians from actual Albania obviously needed to escape, the number of child migrants were quite significant 5/10 years ago... and we have to ask ourselves why? Because it was easy to get here and Albania had no social infrastructure to receive vulnerable children back!

I have lost all faith in the immigration system, it is inconsistent, induces marginalisation and actually leaves this country looking like a complete failure.

- Emma, London, 02/02/2010 21:42
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I am an Albanian citizen, who lives in London as an Albanian citizen, not as a Kosovan refugee. I find it very distasteful this whole matter of Home Office going after some desperate Albanians, who lied about their true origin, just to be allowed to stay in the country.

Firstly, I do not believe that this is the most pressing issue facing an recession hit Britain.

Secondly, I think it is a violation of human rights to remove from the UK, children who have been born and educated here and do not know any other language. Home Office does not seem able to punish or to remove extremists, so liars should be much low in their priorities.

Thirdly, I do not know anyone who has not lied or hidden the truth to get a benefit, a job or when desperate.

Blair lied about Iraq.
Brown lied about boom and bust.
Thousands of people have died and suffered as direct result of their lies.

Who has suffered because of some Albanians lying?
Nobody.
So I ask Home Office to get real and find something better to waste your time and money on.

I do not want to even reply to those who call Albanians scumbags. By doing so, they have shown a lot about who they are for themselves.

- Admir Elezaj, London, UK, 11/12/2009 00:51
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“...UK is our safe place and we have created our life here our friends here and we have our home here...WE ARE PART OF THIS NATION...”

Fully agree, no matter where you came from, I think such opportunities need to be given to everyone who wish too... I cannot find the right words for WHAT people like when refusing visa application forms... of people who were taken apart from each other after more than 3 years of living together in peace and love...

My sister (from Russia) could not join family in UK because of age over 18... THAT is AMAZING... cannot believe my self...
Don’t have no words, just bleeps and bleeps again...

- Disappointed, London, UK, 14/10/2009 21:26
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Home Office probably knew there were some cases of deception but couldnt prove anything.
So what happened is that some albanians wanted to bring in the UK their relatives and family, instead of keeping quiet and maintaining low profile, which is rather naive and stupid. Now that Home Office can document their lies the shit hitting the fan. First the Home Office allowed their family and relative to enter the UK to see how many people would come forward, and it worked like charm, because albanians are naive and if someone does something they all follow suit, its more of an eastern stupid mentality which the Home Office psychologist now very well.
Just ask yourself, how can you submit an application having two places of birth, two family names, two birthdays? Stupid innit?
On the other hand british people are living the UK for a better life elsewhere near the sun, instead of turning into slaves of the system. So it would be unwise to return the people who lied home.
Keep it real

- Saimir, Tirana, 17/08/2009 12:14
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Lets face it the real truth behind this move is a cynical one. The government is in an economic crisis. They knew from the beginning that some Albanians came in at the same time as Kosovans, but now they wish to use this as an excuse to charge 5000 pounds tax from immigrants to help pay off their debt. Nothing whatsoever to do with them 'discovering fraud'. Shame our government tries to disguise their true motives in such an underhand way!

- Emma, London, UK, 26/07/2009 00:29
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James, London said it all.

- - Sadik, London, 14/05/2009 19:23
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So what if they did lie? Why don't people actually look at what situations were like in Albania around this time and you might begin to understand the desperation to get out of a country such as that.
The fact is MOST Albanians who come over here work hard and are tainted by a few. The few who do not should be thrown out, not the ones who just want a better life for their families, as should those British 'Citizens' such as those released recently from Guantanamo.
I am sick of this country punishing innocents who are pruley trying to find safety and hapiness for their families whilst rewarding people who act against the state. It's pathetic.

- Mike, London, UK, 03/03/2009 13:39
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This is a rather concerning issue for a lot of people in the uk and i m not surprised to see the variety of reactiosn. Its true that the home office messed up and its true the albanians took liberty of the situation in kosovo at the time and used it to their advantage. The problem now though is the fact that these people have built their lives here and most of them have done it through hard work. They ve paid taxes and mortgages just like any other british citizen. their kids have been born and educated within the british society and most of them only speak english. Just to answer the critics from someone who wrote about Albanian mafia and criminals, they re part of every nation and noone is proud of them but they re not the people concerned by this initiative of the government. We re talking about thousands of people that lied to get a chance for a better life achieved not through crime but hard work. 85% of british people lie in their CV s in order to be hired for a job. I think the Home Office needs to do something to reduce the amount of people entering the country in a daily basis and control the future imigration figures as unfortunately chasing after files nearly ten years old wil NOT solve the current immigration crisis...

- Arthur, wolverhampton, west midlands, 16/01/2009 16:21
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Shame on Home Office. It has nothing else to do but distroy the life of many British Citizens who earned this nationality by working hard and contributing to this society and still working and paying taxes and mortgage. Why the Home Office does not work torwards stopping illegal immigration that is drayning the system? I am a British Citizen and proudly so. Did get married in August 2007 in Albania but my wife has not yet heard from the British Embassy in Albania so she still over there. Is this how a human, who does everything right, to be treated? When will this burocracy end? I have to be over here apart from my love of life to keep my mortgage payments going and contributing to the society. How would any burocrat that works in possition of destroying our lifes feel if would be on our place? Well i do not think they can manage. I do really think that this has gone long enough and do call on Home Office to come up with a solution.

- Lazer, croydon, 16/01/2009 01:14
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Well...I`m albanian..I agree with this investigation but all this problem is create from the Home Office because the Home Office is burocratic place who never try do somthing about it..now they have to do nothing so have to find out who is kosovan and who is albanian BUT i`m telling you one thing :We are the same ALBANIAN..well We have the same flag the same language, the same traditon...we are brother we use to be One country and this is a mistake from 1913 when in UK (London Conference)the seperate our land and give it (Kosovo) to Serbia...well when you do a mistake please try to sort it out....Now we are here and we are part of British sociaty and we are proud to be British citizens...UK is our safe palce and we have create our life here our friends here and we have our home here...WE ARE PART OF THIS NATION.

- Tim, England, 14/12/2008 22:49
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the home office is stupid

- Jamie, Essex, 24/10/2008 02:52
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This is not true what they saying about Albania’s , who come here since the war in Kosovo in 99 for what ever reason it doesn’t matter if they lied or not, if they lied it would not be because they were criminals/ Albania’s have worked and build their life in this country for years now and all of them work and contribute in our community and pay tax’s too.

The government needs to do something about those immigrants that they come here and work illegal to avoid the tax pay instead of trying to destroy British Albania’s who establish their life’s in our communities……..

- Lleshi, banbury, 22/09/2008 20:14
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I am with an albanian, and as for saying they are scum of the england is putrid to me!!I also have some albanian friends and they are lovely people.
I will be getting married to him next year and we will be applying for a visa.
how he can be called scum is beyond me when there is worse english poeple!!
what about those who dont pay tax , who dont bother to work and live off benefits.they are the poeple who make this country look bad! and yet the government let them!! So what about my rights? do i not have a right to be with whom i choose or is he going to be refused and i am expected to accept it!!??

As far as im concerned the people who critisze albanians probably have never even met one and even if they did they cant expect all humans to be perfect (yeah albaninans are human aswell).
There are alot of people who come here and wish for a life which they wouldnt otherwise get over there.
Either way the whole system is a joke,they are supposed to be adults and are unfair, have no idea about fair judgment and probably cant even do their jobs properley. Albanians are obviously desperate to get out of that country and have a life so give them some slack and direct your attention to the real concerns in this world...

- Penny, Oxford, 12/09/2008 10:58
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if Albania`s lied about their identity where was the home office before, and they are thinking of take their passports a way, how about their children that were born here in the UK. this is all joke and yeah there are people in this world that they may lie to have a better life, but they cant blame all Albania`s for 1 or 10 cases like that.

You know what home office should do? Leave the good people getting on with their life's that have settled in here, and fight the crime instead.

- Dan, Banbury, 05/05/2008 22:10
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Being married to an Albanian man for 7years now I know that lots of people he knows were given passports under the assumption they were Kosovan. What for them now? It is hard not to take the easy option when you are looking for a better life. People in this country are so quick to judge lets hope none of us are ever in the position to have leave our country and rely on the compassion of another one. Albanians are seen as the new scum of Britain and this is unfair, unjust and downright racist!

- Dawn, Northampton, 11/04/2008 14:57
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I am also a young woman from Kosovo, like many others I came here for a better and a safer chance of life. It annoys me that only now the Home Office have realised this...I believe they knew this before but were ashamed to admit their mistakes as the British Government only holds their hands up to something when they get caught. I strongly believe that Albanians like me came here for similar reason and I m sure any human being promised of a better life in another part of the world would jump at the chance. I've been in the UK for over 9 years and I m almost 19 and at University. I think those who have left had good reasons to do so. These people put their lives at risk to make it into this country - something an English person would never understand, especially the sacrifices we had to go through.
The Home Office should turn its attention on other important matters and they should leave these refugees in a peace of mind. They are only trying to correct their mistakes but it is now too late, because the concequences of these refugees being deported could be disastarous, i think they should catch those fraudsters who dont pay taxes and ect and leave the past where it belongs.

- Kristina, London, 14/03/2008 02:07
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I know hundreds of lazy, work shy people who have used this story!

- Chantelle, London, 20/11/2007 01:31
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I know hundreds of lazy, work shy people who have used this story!

- Chantelle, London, 20/11/2007 01:31
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Even if some have made it so far by lying there is a lot of hard working Albanians that have lived here for more then 8 years and their children have been brought up here, sending them back now could ruin their lives. I understand that people and the government would be annoyed.

- Ilir, London, 13/11/2007 21:30
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We should always help people in need such as asylum seekers from countries ravaged by wars? Period. However, lies are lies and these people should go back to Albania. Albania was not involved in a war. There are a lot of "hard working people" around the world so why not let them in as well. Kosovo refugees should stay if they have nowhere to go (which I doubt - Kosovo is run by Albanian Mafia so these liars would fit perfectly well over there).

- Robert, London, 13/11/2007 20:30
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I do not disagree with the fact that we have to help genuine asylum seekers. However, lies are lies and comments like "they are hard working people" do not justify their actions. In every nation there are hard working people and lazy ones. Albanians should go back to Albania. Asylum seekers from Kosova should stay if they cannot go back (which I doubt). No wonder why the George Bush's watch was stolen.

- Robert, London, 13/11/2007 20:30
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I guess this is another Home Office cock up. However, if there is a loophole in any system, people who can will take advantage of it...this is the human nature. The one who should be held accountable should the Home Office and not the people. Most of them are people in need and it doesn't suprise me that they took a chance when they saw the opportunity. From this behaviour we cannot exclude even those who don't need to, like the very rich who hide their money in foreign accounts to escape fair taxes even though they made most of their money from us to start with.
I say the human thing and the right to do now, is that home office admits its mistake and also pay for it. I know people who have their lives here now and contrary to the usual portrayal by the media of all Albanians as criminals and what not, most of them are really decent and hard working people that share many of our principles and the way of life. It would be inhuman that now, nearly a decade later we just wake up and decide we should let them pay for our mistakes. Again, I emphasise, most people will take the chance for a better life if they saw one, however remote.

- James, London, 13/11/2007 20:30
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I myself am a Kosovan immigrant, and people need to realise that Albania and Kosovo are as one, same language, same culture, and if they are linked to bringing family to England is because that's were their remaining families fled. NOT everyone has lied, although being prosecuted from your home and having no documents to prove it is hard. Even if Albanians did come over and say they're from Kosovo, it should not matter, it's the same thing. Troubles that occured in Kosovo also affected Albania, people had to find some escape to an extent. Also, striping people of their citizenship will only be a loss to this country, as you say yourself that people have made a good honest life here and contribute well here. Hope the Home office finds better things to waste their time on.

- Megi, London, 13/11/2007 20:30
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