The long-distance debate continues between Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama and the leader of the British Reform Party, Nigel Farage.
After Farage’s response on Twitter, where he mentioned Rama in his post, the Albanian Prime Minister quickly replied to the British MP regarding the number of Albanians in UK prisons.
Rama once again rejected the figure published by Farage, who claims that 1 in 48 Albanians in England is in prison, describing Farage’s insistence as “malevolent.”
“To err is human, but to persist in error is malevolent,” Rama wrote.
The Albanian Prime Minister addressed Nigel Farage, saying that instead of bothering the Home Secretary, he should let Rama know when he can be welcomed in Tirana as an honorary guest. “Because clearly, numbers are not your strong suit, so let’s be clear — YOU LOST.”
Rama called Farage’s “registration” of Albanians in the UK particularly laughable. He stated that Farage claims there are only 53,000 Albanians, when in fact the number is several times higher.
“The actual Albanian population in the UK may be up to 140,000 — which means that fewer than one in 100 are in prison,” wrote Rama.
“So what you’re saying falls apart. Now, regarding the number of prisoners, a more relevant question is: how many of them are actually convicted for crimes unrelated to your outdated immigration and visa system?”
“Yes, numbers can be boring, but they are also stubborn. And when someone continuously lies about them, the question is: why insist? Because being malevolent seems even lower than your usual style.”
“After all, ‘one in 50 Albanians in UK prisons’ is not a fact — that’s called a post-Brexit delusion.”
“I look forward to welcoming you to Albania, as promised, to share plenty of sunshine, warm hospitality, and true facts,” Rama concluded.
Rama’s full statement:
Dear @Nigel_Farage,
“My Catholic grandmother, may her soul rest in peace, always reminded me of the Latin saying: Errare humanum est, sed perseverare diabolicum. Which I believe means something like: To err is human, but to persist in error is malevolent.
So instead of bothering the Home Secretary, who is already busy, maybe just let me know when I can welcome you in Tirana as an honorary guest. Because, dear Nigel, numbers don’t seem to be your strong point, so let’s be clear — YOU LOST.
Your ‘registration’ of Albanians in Britain is particularly laughable. You claim there are 53,000. In reality, the number is much higher — several times more. But let’s stick to your source: The Telegraph, which was the first to raise the ‘one in 50’ theory, and later admitted:
‘The analysis likely underestimated the size of the Albanian population, as it does not include illegal immigrants, including over 12,000 who arrived in small boats in 2022. Some estimates suggest the real Albanian population may be up to 140,000 — which means that fewer than one in 100 are in prison.’
Now, as for the number of prisoners, here’s a more relevant question: how many of them are actually convicted for crimes unrelated to your outdated immigration and visa system?
Yes, numbers may be boring — but they’re also stubborn. And when someone keeps lying about them, the real question is: why insist? Because frankly, being malevolent seems even lower than your usual style.
Albanians in Britain are not just statistics to be twisted for your post-Brexit political theatre, dear Mr. Farage. They are students, academics, builders, drivers, business owners, and partners. And if one in a thousand fails, that does not make the others victims of your national confusion.
We have stood side by side with the British government in dramatically reducing illegal migration and fighting crime. The real numbers prove it — and that’s called cooperation. But ‘one in 50 Albanians in UK prisons’? That’s not a fact — that’s a post-Brexit delusion.
I look forward to welcoming you in Albania, as promised, to share plenty of sunshine, warm hospitality, and true facts.”
