Asylum seekers who arrive in the UK after crossing the Channel in small boats could soon face a 1,500-mile flight to Albania for 'processing', according to reports.

The latest crackdown on illegal immigration is part of radical Home Office proposals, according to The Sun.

The report says those making the dangerous journey from France to claim asylum in Britain would be detained in the Balkans while their claims are handled by UK authorities.

Officials in London and the Albanian capital Tirana are said to be about to agree a deal on a new centre.

The Home Office has refused to confirm or deny the claim.

But in a statement issued to KentOnline today a government spokesman said: "We are determined to tackle the unacceptable rise in dangerous Channel crossings.

"The New Plan for Immigration is the only long-term solution to fix the broken system and includes changes to the law to tackle criminal gangs and prevent further loss of life. This is a shared, international challenge and we continue to work with other countries to meet it.”

The government set out its plans in March on how it wanted to make legal changes so it could move asylum seekers from the UK while their claims or appeals were pending.

In July, Home Secretary Priti Patel signed a deal with Albanian minister of interior Bledar Cuci which would make it easier to remove convicted offenders, as well as making it simpler to move failed Albanian asylum-seekers and those who have overstayed their visas.

In June, Ms Patel, who previously threatened to turn boats around and send them back to Europe, was talking to Denmark about sharing an immigration centre in Rwanda.

She previously said she hoped the new measures would deter people from making the crossing after the number of asylum seekers detained by Border Force, mainly along the Kent coast, hit a record 16,299 for the year last month - nearly double the number who arrived during the whole of 2020.

Asylum seekers who arrive in Kent are sent to former army barracks in Folkestone. After an interview adults are sent to accommodation centres across Britain and given £37.75 per week for food, clothes and toiletries. Unaccompanied children have been looked after by Kent County Council.

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