'We want to help': Kosovo offers to host asylum returns hub in boost for Starmer on immigration

Albin Kurti, the prime minister of Kosovo, said his country “wants to help the UK” and considers it its “duty” to assist with Britain’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

In return, Mr Kurti is asking for additional support to help strengthen its national security against threats from Russia and neighbouring Serbia.

“We want to help the U.K. — we consider that that is our friendly and political duty.

 “We have limited capacity but still we want to help, and as we speak there is regular communication between our teams of state officials from our ministry of internal affairs and lawyers about how to do this smoothly for mutual benefit,” he said in a meeting ahead of a key summit in London this week. 

It will be a boost to Sir Keir Starmer - as the Government seeks to crack down on small boats crossing the Channel.

Read more: UK to open talks with Kosovo on hosting 'return hub' for failed asylum seekers

Read more: Migrant return hubs in the Balkans could be 'exploited' by Russia, MI6 warns

The Prime Minister, who is set to host Western Balkan leaders in the capital on Wednesday, has said establishing return hubs would not be a “silver bullet” for halting the crossings.

But combined with other measures to tackle smuggling gangs and return those with no right to be in the UK, Sir Keir has said it would “allow us to bear down on this vile trade and make sure that we stop those people crossing the Channel”.

If established, the return hubs will target failed asylum seekers who are seeking to frustrate their deportation or have lost their paperwork.

By removing them to another country, the Government hopes to reduce their ability to find other reasons to prevent deportation, such as starting a family.

It is also expected to act as a deterrent to further crossings, but differs from the previous government’s Rwanda scheme as it would only apply to failed asylum seekers who have exhausted their avenues for appeal.

Kosovo is among nine countries being considered for the proposed return hubs scheme.

It is the first country to confirm an interest in Sir Keir’s plan -and the Prime Minister could use Wednesday's summit to press other attendees to accept the proposal. 

Milojko Spajic, the prime minister of Montenegro, said his country would be open to negotiating a return hub deal if the UK significantly invested in its infrastructure.

However, Bosnia and Herzegovina said it had “no intention, nor any willingness, to enter into any arrangement that would involve accepting rejected asylum seekers” from Britain.

The hubs would serve as interim facilities where individuals awaiting deportation could be housed, potentially reducing the burden on UK accommodation resources.

The UK government has indicated that they would not be a deterrent for migrants, as the majority of those who cross the English Channel illegally have their asylum claims accepted and would not be subject to removal under this plan.

This development follows a previous proposal by Sir Keir to establish similar facilities in Albania.

However, Albanian's president Bajram Begaj publicly rejected the idea, citing its existing agreement with Italy as a "one-off" deal.

UK officials have confirmed that they were in talks with counterparts about setting up potential return hubs, but insisted it was just one proposal among various options being explored