Nigel Farage Slammed By Albanian Prime Minister Over 'Bonkers' Prisoner Numbers Claim

Yahoo

11 hours ago

Nigel Farage has been slammed by the prime minister of Albania after he claimed one in 50 prisoners in UK jails come from the country.
Edi Rama offered to take every one of them back to the Balkan nation if the Reform UK leader's 'bonkers' claim turned out to be true.
And he challenged Farage to visit Albania if he is wrong – and promise to defend the country and its people the next time anyone 'badmouths' them.
Rama, who just won a fourth term in office, threw down the gauntlet after Farage criticised Albania on his GB News show.
That came after Rama had said Keir Starmer's attempts to deport illegal immigrants to third countries showed the UK was 'in a very dark place' because of Brexit.
The Reform boss had said: 'I tell you what, Mr Rama, did you know one in 50 Albanians in Britain are in prison? So show some goodwill and take them all back tomorrow, because this is hypocrisy.'
Responding on X, Rama said: 'That 'one in 50 Albanians are in prison' claim? It's not a fact. It's bonkers. A classic from the post-truth Brexit playbook: 'If it sounds scary, it must be true'.
'Guess what? When the numbers are actually run — surprise! — even if we assumed every Albanian currently in prison is guilty (and in fact, many are caught up in an outdated and restrictive visa system), the rate of criminality among Albanians in the UK would be no higher than — and likely lower than — that of the British population itself.
'Now, since we both seem to cherish 'goodwill' and are clearly allergic to 'hypocrisy', here's my offer: Let's both bring our numbers to the table. If your 'one in 50' claim holds water — I will personally commit to taking them all back. That's not a competing headline — it's a public pledge.
'But if your scary stat turns out to be just tabloid fuel, then no apology needed. No drama. Instead, you'll come to Albania — as my guest of honour. You'll get real sun, real hospitality, and even more real facts — about Albania and its fabulous people.
'And all I ask in return is the simplest public pledge from you, made while enjoying our country: next time someone badmouths Albanians, you'll be the first to tell them — in your histrionic way — not to do it again.
'So what do you say? One fact-check for a full deportation — or a full vacation, with some of the warmest people you'll ever meet. Come on, Nigel. If you lose on a fact check, you'll still win a whole nation of friends for life. Looking forward to hearing from you.'
https://t.co/5yfTLPfoABOoopsss… Mr.@Nigel_Farage himself has just challenged me on the facts! What an honor — for a 'giant man,' as he described me (meaning, of course, from a 'tiny country') — to earn the attention of Britain's unrivaled virtuoso of headline politics.He…
— Edi Rama (@ediramaal) June 27, 2025
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