(ANSA-AFP) - LONDON, DEC 7 - Albania's UK ambassador demanded
an apology Wednesday for an anti-migrant "campaign" in
right-wing British media following hostile remarks by a top
minister. Ethnic-Albanian children are getting bullied in
British schools because of the media coverage, Qirjako Qirko
told a committee of MPs. "I would like to take this opportunity
to ask that this campaign of discrimination against Albanians
living here in (the) UK should stop," he said. "Everyone who is
responsible for this activity should apologise," Qirko added,
during at-times testy questioning about the issue of boatloads
of migrants crossing the Channel. Relations between London and
Tirana have been strained over recent months as the UK
government attempts to get to grips with the Channel crossings.
More than 40,000 migrants have made the often-dangerous journey
in small boats so far in 2022, with Albanians now the largest
single group. Many are economic migrants but falsely say they
are victims of modern slavery and claim asylum, Qirko conceded,
while hitting back at one Conservative MP's allegations that
Albanians were coming to engage in organised crime. (ANSA-AFP).
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