Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reports that Ahmed Aboutaleb, mayor of Rotterdam, will travel personally to Albania to address the issue of illegal migration, even though he was aware that among Albanian politicians there is little interest in the problem.
Large numbers of young Albanian migrants try to cross the channel from several ports along the coast of Western Europe, including Rotterdam, hoping to seek asylum in the UK. In 2016 Albanians were the largest group of asylum seekers in the EU after Syrians. According to a report of Amnesty International, over 20,000 Albanians applied for asylum last year.
Several European countries, such as Italy and the UK, struggle with large numbers of unaccompanied minors from Albania, which often fall prey to human trafficking and abuse.
According to Dutch–Albanian journalist Vincent Triest, the Albanian government has consistently refused to address the immigration question.
