Deported Albanian Drug Kingpin Stays in UK, Fuelling Concerns Over Foreign Criminal Networks

A twice-convicted Albanian drug dealer, previously deported from the UK, has been granted the right to remain in Britain, a decision that has ignited a firestorm of criticism and amplified public fears over the escalating destruction wrought by foreign criminal networks involved in drug trafficking, prostitution, and sophisticated car theft rings across the nation.

Stiljano Ziu, an Albanian national with a documented history of drug offences, was initially jailed for nine months after being convicted of producing cannabis. He was subsequently released early on the explicit condition that he would not return to the UK after his deportation. However, in a brazen act of defiance against British immigration controls, Ziu re-entered the country illegally.

Upon his illicit return, Ziu married a Greek national residing in the UK, a union he then used as the basis to claim the right to remain in the country. Shockingly, both a lower and upper immigration tribunal sided with Ziu, asserting he posed no threat to the public, despite a robust appeal from the Home Office, which vehemently argued he had demonstrated "blatant disregard" for immigration laws.

Adding to the outrage, Ziu was subsequently convicted of further drug dealing offences after being granted the right to remain, now facing the very real prospect of a second deportation. This extraordinary case, detailed in recently disclosed court papers, is the latest in a troubling pattern uncovered by The Telegraph, revealing how illegal migrants and convicted foreign criminals frequently exploit human rights grounds to remain in the UK or indefinitely halt their deportations.

Critics argue that such cases are not isolated incidents but symptomatic of a larger, more insidious problem: the unchecked infiltration and destructive operations of foreign criminal organizations. These networks, often highly organized and operating with impunity, are widely reported to be responsible for flooding British streets with illegal drugs, controlling vast prostitution rings that exploit vulnerable individuals, and orchestrating sophisticated car theft operations that strip communities of their assets. The cumulative effect, say many, is a tangible erosion of public safety and a direct assault on the fabric of British society.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has acknowledged the gravity of the situation, announcing plans to curb judges' powers to block deportations. Her proposed reforms include new legally-enforced "common sense" rules designed to clarify how judges interpret human rights laws and to significantly strengthen the public interest test in such cases.

However, the Home Office itself remains in a precarious position regarding Ziu's future. The recent conviction for drug dealing places the ball firmly back in their court. A Home Office statement indicated, "the claimant must understand that his recent conviction has resulted in a sentence that may require his deportation from the United Kingdom and that is something the Secretary of State will consider. It may be that this case has been an academic exercise.” This suggests a potential renewed push for Ziu's removal, but only after his latest transgression has come to light.

The ongoing saga of Stiljano Ziu underscores a critical battle facing the UK: how to effectively enforce its borders and protect its citizens from foreign criminals who show contempt for the law, while navigating the complexities of international human rights conventions. The public's patience, already stretched thin by reports of rising crime linked to such networks, is rapidly running out.