Convicted Albanian criminals are reportedly paying smuggling networks as much as £20,000 to illegally re-enter the United Kingdom, brazenly flouting deportation orders that carry prison sentences of up to five years.
The Cost of an Illegal Return
Despite facing severe penalties, a steady stream of deported offenders from Albania are finding their way back to British shores. Many are smuggled in the backs of lorries or aboard yachts crossing the Channel. Albania is the only country subject to frequent, often weekly, deportation flights for criminals who have completed UK sentences or volunteered to serve time in their home nation.
Professor Ervin Karamuco, a criminology expert at Tirana State University, explains the ease of return. "These convicted criminals have close ties with people trafficking criminal groups based in Europe and UK," he said. "They know the contact points, the places where crossings happen, and people they need to pay." He added that sometimes the trafficking is done for free, in exchange for the criminals carrying out "various tasks" for the smuggling networks upon their return.
High-Profile Cases Defying Deportation
Court records reveal multiple cases where Albanian nationals are being sentenced for new offences after illegally returning. One glaring example is Dorian Puka, 31. Jailed and deported twice for a series of burglaries, he has each time managed to slip back into the country. Puka is now in the UK claiming asylum, where he will remain while his application is processed. On social media, he flaunts a luxury lifestyle, posting videos of a £184,950 Lamborghini and claiming to be a "millionaire."
Another repeat offender is Emirjon Gjuta, 34, an Albanian drug dealer. Deported in August 2020 after a conviction for conspiring to produce cannabis, he was arrested in the UK illegally in March 2022 and deported again a year later. Gjuta was sentenced last Friday at Leeds Crown Court to 14 months in prison after admitting he re-entered the UK yet again in November 2024, breaching his deportation order. His defence claimed he had not fully understood the order due to a lack of an interpreter, but signed documents showed he did not oppose it.
A System Under Strain
Nick Smith from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) stated: "Emirjon Gjuta had no right to remain or work in the UK and has been deported twice already. It's clear he does not care about the rules." The CPS affirmed its commitment to work with the Home Office and police to prosecute those with no right to be in the country.
These cases highlight significant challenges in enforcing deportation orders and preventing illegal re-entry. The organised nature of the smuggling networks, combined with the offenders' established connections in the UK, creates a persistent loophole that authorities are struggling to close. The Home Office has been approached for comment on these ongoing issues.
