A migrant arrived in the UK by boat, had surgery, and returned to Albania for just £48
Dover: A migrant came to the UK on a small boat. He had an NHS operation and then took a £48 flight back to Albania.
The man, who wants to stay anonymous, fled a migrant hotel shortly after arriving. He worked at a cannabis farm for a few years.
He decided to return home because he earned less than the minimum wage there. Before leaving, he went to an NHS hospital for treatment.
He had a ruptured appendix and said, “I was in pain and had an operation. After that, I left. It was easy because we had an emergency.”
He thought about leaving before the operation but felt sure afterward. He regretted coming to Britain, calling it a bad dream.
Even though his details were recorded when he arrived, he had no trouble leaving. He just showed his passport and left without any questions.
“It cost me £5,000 to come and £48 to fly back,” he said. The tough black market economy pushed him to return home.
After quitting his job at the cannabis farm, he struggled to make ends meet with cash-in-hand jobs. Now back in Albania, he warns others not to make the dangerous journey.
He shared, “Last night in Tirana, a friend said, ‘I want to go,’ but I told him it’s not what it seems.”
He believes coming by boat was a silly choice and wouldn’t do it again. He thinks those who try it are foolish.
If he returned, he’d rather pay a smuggler £10,000 to fly to the UK. However, he’s vowed not to come back, even with legal documents.
The Sunday Express first spoke to him while he was living illegally in the UK. He laughed at political plans to tackle the small boat crisis.
In response to his situation, a Home Office spokesperson said they keep in touch with asylum seekers to ensure compliance with their claims.
They added that non-compliant asylum seekers may have their claims withdrawn if they leave the UK without permission.
