Albanian people smugglers mock 'soft-touch' UK

Albanian people smugglers are mocking Britain's soft approach on migrants in adverts promoting their services.

The Home Office last week launched a new campaign in Albania, warning would-be migrants they faced being 'detained and removed'.

But the gangsters, who charge up to £3,500 for the dangerous Channel crossings, have countered with their own ads on social media platform TikTok.

In one, the gangsters boast: 'Crossing this weekend. £3,000 from France to UK. No one will return you back to Albania.'

Other ads suggest that those making the journey would spend only 'one day in detention'.

Research by Oxford University's Migration Observatory found most of those released from detention facilities were held for fewer than 29 days, with only 13 per cent staying longer.

The Illegal Migration Bill, which is under consideration in the House of Lords, will ensure those who arrive in the UK illegally would be detained and promptly removed.