Research project led by Dr Hoxhaj on Albanian migrants awarded UCL Public Policy grant

A research project led by Dr Andi Hoxhaj (Lecturer (Teaching) in Law at UCL Laws) has received two grants from UCL Public Policy.  

The first grant of £10,000 was awarded as part of a scheme of expert engagement grants to enable the development and delivery of urgent short-term policy work in response to policy demand. He received the additional grant of £55,000 for the UCL Public Policy Expert Engagement Award, funded by Research England's QR Special Priorities Fund to develop public engagement related to this project.  

These grants will allow Dr Hoxhaj to continue his research engagement activities on the Western Balkans, with a particular focus on Albania. In recent months, Dr Hoxhaj has spoken to various media about the reasons for Albanian migration to the UK, the role of organised crime networks and the socio-legal conditions in Albania – including the Express, ITV News, Financial Times, The Times and The Guardian. In December 2022, he appeared before the Home Affairs Committee to give evidence on the increase in channel crossings by Albanian nationals and spoke to various media about Home Affairs Committee's inquiry – including BBC News, Sky News, and BBC Radio 4.

Dr Hoxhaj commented: 

"I am delighted to have received the grants and am grateful to UCL Public Policy and the Arts and Humanities Research Council for their support. Albania is understudied in UK public policy and academic scholarship, and I hope that this project will help to better understand some of the major policy challenges identified in December 2022 in the UK-Albania Joint Communique: Enhancing Bilateral Cooperation in Areas of Common Interest. 

“Throughout this project, I will engage in knowledge exchange with several policymakers in Whitehall and parliamentarians in Westminster on issues such as justice and home affairs, economics and trade, youth, and education, allowing us to address the policy challenges outlined in the UK-Albania Communique. 

"I hope that the knowledge exchange of this project will enable a better understanding of some of the underlying issues related to the rise of migration from Albania to the UK and that my research will contribute to the development of long-term and sustainable policy solutions to migration problems, as well as to the wider policy challenges of the UK's foreign policy towards the Western Balkans." 

Related news: 

• Dr Andi Hoxhaj was appointed as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the News Years Honours List 2024. The Honour recognises Dr Hoxhaj's contributions to Albanian and UK relations.  
• In February 2024, Dr Hoxhaj co-hosted a panel discussion with PM of Kosovo, co-hosted with Chatham House on "Security in the Western Balkans".
• Dr Hoxhaj also gave an interview to Sky News in June 2023, where he spoke about the UK-Albania agreement on migration and the UK’s migration strategy.
• Dr Hoxhaj in collaboration with the FCDO and the British Council, held a roundtable discussion at UCL Faculty of Laws in March 2023 with H.E. Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania, on strengthening UK-Albanian cooperation in higher education.
• Dr Hoxhaj was interviewed on BBC News in March 2023, where he spoke about the UK-Albania agreement on migration and the compatibility of the proposed bill on migration with human rights and rule of law standards.