Albanian men who have been victims of trafficking in Britain cannot be automatically deported to Albania. This is the latest decision of the British judiciary, which has instructed authorities to assess whether there is a real risk to their lives and safety before returning them.
The court has determined that British authorities cannot rely solely on the argument that Albania is a safe country, but must examine the specific circumstances of each person.
The focus is on the risk that victims, upon returning to Albania, will face threats, violence or re-trafficking. Authorities should also assess whether the person can be protected by Albanian institutions, whether there is shelter available and whether they can live safely without falling back into the hands of traffickers.
The decision particularly affects young Albanian boys and men exploited in Britain for criminal activities, including drug distribution and cannabis cultivation.
However, the decision does not mean an automatic ban on deportation for every Albanian who has been a victim of trafficking. In the UK, cases of potential victims are reviewed through the National Referral Mechanism, which assesses the person’s history, the manner of exploitation and the evidence supporting their claim.
Now, with new British justice guidelines, each case must be examined individually and deportation can be opposed when there is a real risk to the victim’s safety upon return to Albania.