 into the banking system, no questions asked, under plans being finalised by Tirana. They will get to keep the cash in return for up to 10 per cent tax. In a country dealing with issues such as money laundering and corruption, this does not discourage either illegal migration or illicit activity, said Mr Panariti. 'Our people are under threat,' he told The Telegraph as he called on his government to address issues of poverty and people trafficking. 'Young people are getting used by organised crime gangs. There are estimated to be around 2,000 Albanians in prison in the UK, and there are 5,000 people in prison in here. If things continue like this, then in three to four years, there will be many Albanians in jail in the UK as there are in Albania. 'We need to be able to provide hope for people so that they stay here, especially those in the north living in extreme poverty. Our country is turning into a desert and we need to stop the tide.' 'Better to take risk and have a life' When approached by The Telegraph, Albania's ministry for Europe and foreign affairs did not respond to questions about corruption or the plans for a fiscal amnesty. But for thousands like Mr Cahani, whose life has been transformed, it will take more than a promise of new jobs and infrastructure to persuade him that there is not a better future in England. His son, now 27, has the right to remain through his French wife and Mr Cahani is preparing the papers to move to London to be reunited with his family. 'People are so depressed here that they are saying that everything would be){kind=link}
Migrants sending money to their relatives back home belies a darker story – one that has worried some locals and officials
When asked why Albanians want to come to the UK, Besnik Cahani laughs and points at his pockets.
The 58-year-old knows only too well the benefits of having a relative brave the illegal journey – it is the one his son made seven years ago hiding in a lorry.
“He is sending £100 back here and my pocket is getting fat with Albanian lek,” Mr Cahani said, adding with widening eyes that “sometimes at Christmas or New Year, he sends £200”.
As he stood on the potholed streets of Kukes, a small city in the mountains in northern Albania more than 1,300 miles from Britain, many of the BMWs and Mercedes that passed carried UK number plates.