23 March 2023 , 12:56
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Suella Braverman has been blasted over "disgraceful" remarks about migrants by Albania's Prime Minister.
Edi Rama, who is in the UK ahead of a meeting with Rishi Sunak, voiced his anger at the way Albanians have been singled out by the Home Secretary.
Ms Braverman sparked a row after referring to "Albanian criminals" in a debate in the Commons last year.
Mr Rama described it as a "very low point" in relations between the two countries.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Unfortunately we have seen ourselves and our community being singled out in this country for purposes of politics.
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"It has been a very, very disgraceful moment for British politics."
Albanian prime minister Edi Rama is in the UK for talks with Rishi Sunak (MARTIN DIVISEK/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Mr Rama added that Ms Braverman's remarks do not "represent Britain at all".
He said: "I mean what has been spoke out by members of the Cabinet, starting with the Home Secretary, and then I mean what exactly has been developing as the singling out of our community, which is not something you do in our our civilisation and is something that does not represent Britain at all.
"This has been a very low point in our relations but there is a will to overcome it.
"We will always refuse to have this mix between some criminals and the Albanians as such because giving to the crime an ethnic seal is itself a crime."
It will be the first time Mr Rama has met Mr Sunak face-to-face, having held discussions in the wake of the controversy last year.
The two leaders have previously agreed to work together to close "loopholes" preventing the return to Albania of failed asylum seekers.
No 10 today insisted it would talk about migrants from Albania in a "factual, fair and compassionate" way.
Mr Sunak's official spokesman said: "I think we will obviously continue to make sure that we talk about this in a way that is factual, fair and compassionate. And that's the tone you've heard from the Prime Minister throughout this.
"We are first and foremost seeking to stop vulnerable people making dangerous journeys which have seen people lose their lives."
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He added: "We do value the Albanian community in the UK and welcome any Albanians who travel to the UK legally and contribute to British society.
"However, the reality is that we are currently seeing large numbers of Albanian nationals risking their lives to make dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK and that places strain on the asylum system."