Almost 4 in 10 migrants illegally crossing the La Mansh Channel are from Albania, where there has been no conflict for a quarter of a century, a British military intelligence report reveals.
The document categorized as officially sensitive, according to The Telegraph, shows Albania sends almost three times as many illegal immigrants through France as any other country.
The report shows that of the 2,863 migrants transported from nine different groups of people's traffic from 1 June to 12 July this year, 1,075 – or 37.5 per cent - were Albanians.
Although Albanians face economic difficulties in their homeland, especially in the north, the country has been largely peaceful since the riots in 1997, in which more than 3,000 people died, the Telegraph writes.
The total number of immigrants from Albania was much higher than from other countries. Iranians made up the next highest number, with 373 immigrants, or 13 percent of the total.
There were 363 migrants from Afghanistan (12.7 per cent), 217 from Iraq (7.6 per cent), 162 from Syria (5.7 per cent) and 163 from Eritrea (5.7 per cent).
Abuse of the asylum system
Conservative Iain Duncan Smith says migrants were abusing the asylum system.
"This is an absolutely clear test – in the face of all those on the liberal left crying for us to allow someone in – that this is an economic issue and, as such, it is desperate for us to continue with Rwanda's programme," he said.
At least 28,526 people crossed the Channel in small boats last year. Last Monday, 696 migrants arrived on English shores - a record daily figure for this year.
Richard Tice, the leader of Reform UK, which received the uncovered report, said: "If these people are not really fleeing to save their lives, then it is not up to British taxpayers to support them."
A government spokesman said: "People should always seek asylum in the first safe country they reach, instead of risking their lives and filling the pockets of ruthless criminal gangs to cross the Channel."