On March 2, 2018 the Netherlands deported fifty Albanian illegal immigrants. They were sent back to the country via a specially chartered flight. Four of the asylum seekers resided illegally in Belgium while the rest lived in the Netherlands. According to Dutch news agency ANP, the majority of the Albanians were being held in deportation centers.
During the past two years, hundreds of Albanians have seeked asylum in the Netherlands. However, their chances of being accepted are slim to none as Albania is considered a safe country.
Nonetheless, Albanians account for the largest group of asylum seekers in the Netherlands, as well as the most likely to use the EU country as a gateway to illegally cross into the UK.
According to Dutch authorities, over 90% of illegal immigrants wandering the two main Dutch ports are Albanian.
Under these circumstances, the Dutch government has undertaken several initiatives to curb Albanian illegal immigration.
In April 2017, the Netherlands cooperated with Belgium to organize charter flights from Europe to bring back Albanian asylum seekers. In September 2016, the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security decided to discard the €200 leaving payout that asylum seekers who chose to leave the country were paid until then.
