Yet we're repeatedly told that every single migrant entering the UK illegally is a desparate refugee fleeing war or persecution?
https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/commentaries...
What's that?
Let's be real, there is no reason for any country to be granting Albanian citizens asylum. There isn't a genocide going on, it's a (relatively) free country:
...and most European countries don't.
Q: Why does the UK?
Q: Is there much war or persecution in France at present?
Talking about irregular migration, it's significantly harder to enter the UK directly from either Germany, Austria or Italy. Air carriers check passports and visas (indeed BA pulled a relative of mine this morning at a London airport for what the airline termed a "visa check" during an attempt to check in online).
Paying a people smuggler to take you across the Channel from France to the UK would appear to be significantly simpler. The UK government publishes detailed statistics on irregular migration routes, and for the last few years small boats represent by far largest proportion of irregular migration arrivals, not air.[0]
[0] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/irregular-migration...