The British tabloid Daily Mail has uncovered how Albanian gangs operating there collaborate with Albanian police officers to obtain false documents in exchange for payment, in order to secure asylum in the United Kingdom.

The article reports that Albanian asylum seekers are paying corrupt police officers to obtain official letters supporting their applications, which fraudulently claim they are threatened and their lives are at risk in our country.

Emigrants from Albania often claim to be threatened by criminals in their home country as a basis for seeking asylum in the United Kingdom. Since these applications are likely to fail without evidence, organized criminals have stepped in to provide a solution by exploiting corrupt officials on their payroll.

One gang, operating through a TikTok account called 'Various Jobs in Europe,' has directly advertised its services to Albanian emigrants wanting to submit false asylum claims.

"For the guys seeking asylum in Europe and the United Kingdom who need statements saying they have problems in Albania, contact us via DM. We can get real statements from the state or hospitals saying you were threatened in Albania. For more information, DM," read one of its posts.

Using an Albanian mobile number, a Daily Mail journalist pretended to have a relative in a UK detention center who needed a police statement to support his asylum claim. A reply arrived within minutes, offering a letter for 3,000 euros (£2,616).

The gang promised the document would state that the imaginary cousin was threatened in Albania and would include a signature, stamp, and the full name of the issuing police chief. When asked for proof of a letter the gang had already provided, they sent one bearing the name of a police chief in the eastern city of Korçë.

More than 17,000 Albanians sought asylum in the UK in 2022 before an agreement to expedite returns caused the figure to drop to 2,648 by 2024. The Home Office now considers the country safe and rejected 97 percent of all applications in 2024, although some of these may be successfully appealed.

The Mail's undercover journalist contacted the "Various Jobs in Europe" page earlier this year, writing: "I have a relative in a detention center in London. How can we get a statement to help him get out and claim asylum?"

A gang member replied: "Yes, we can make a statement saying he has problems in Albania. It will cost 3,000 euros."

When asked by the journalist who would issue the statement, the anonymous user said it would be issued by 'the police' and would include a 'signature, stamp, and full name of' the police chief. The gang member requested half the money upfront and the rest after receiving the statement.

When asked to provide an example of a previous statement, they sent a sample document claiming it was issued by the 'General Directorate of the Albanian State Police' at the Korçë police station.

The letter stated: "We confirm that the married couple presented themselves at the Korçë Police Station on 25.11.2025 at 13:30, reporting an incident that occurred in Neighborhood No. 8, Spase Pema Street."

"Acting of their own free will, they reported that three armed, different individuals attacked them using firearms, causing injuries to their bodies and heads."

"We have identified one of the individuals involved in the violence, who requested information regarding the location of their son. The attackers then fled the scene."

"Since this crime occurred within the jurisdiction of the Korçë Police Station, the necessary investigations have begun in accordance with the law. This statement is issued at the request of the interested parties." The TikTok account has since been closed.

While it is now harder for Albanians to successfully claim asylum than in the past, many individuals continue to try. A common method is for applicants to claim they are involved in a 'blood feud.' Others claim to be victims of trafficking, domestic violence, or discrimination based on their sexual orientation.

Last year, the Mail newspaper uncovered a scam where an independent interpreter sought payments of £3,000 to get illegal emigrants out of detention. Eglantina Legisi offered to provide fake guarantors who deceived judges into granting conditional release for illegal emigrants.

TikTok said it does not allow content that displays or promotes human trafficking and smuggling, including facilitating or coordinating acts and services of human smuggling. The Albanian Interior Ministry claimed the letter appeared not to comply with "standards for drafting official documents."

They claimed this would mean it could not have been "created by the State Police institution."