Andi Allushi is among many young people who have chosen to travel to Great Britain by raft for a better future.
In an interview for "Opionion", he told the ordeal of the journey until his arrival at the destination.
"It depends on the sea how long it lasts. If there are many waves it is very difficult to cross. We made it 5 hours until the French sea separates from the English sea. The French police escorted us if we were fine and needed anything. We didn't go down. We notified the police. A big ship came and took us.
In England they took us and took us to the camp. The question I have been asked is whether I have been to England before. On the fourth day, they sent us to the hotel. The hotel is paid for by the British. It went up to 5 million pounds a month for refugees alone. We have to make a request to get a 2-year residence permit", he said.
Allushi adds that he intends to take his family with him in the future, but he would not do so by raft. This is because Andi adds, there are many terrible situations along the way, starting from mothers with babies who travel for hours in dinghies at sea.
"The payment is made when I cross French waters. If I go back to France I pay nothing. When I get caught by the British police I have to pay. There were many Albanians. Most from Shkodra, Kukësi, Tropoja. In my group I was the only tyrons. They distributed us to hotels.
I have seen horrors with family members. With small children. Mother with a baby with her who was not even a year old. There were cases when it went up to 12 hours. There were all kinds of nationalities. Arab, Afghan, Moroccan. Foreigners command it, Albanians get only a percentage. They have no idea how the refugees who leave are mistreated by the people who have umbrellas ," he said.