An Albanian migrant who boasted on social media about how “easy” it was to enter Britain illegally has finally lost his battle against deportation after being convicted of dealing crack cocaine, the High Court ruled last month.
Elvis Zoto, 22, who arrived at Dover by small boat three years ago, flaunted stacks of banknotes online and shared his Home Office registration documents whilst mocking British border controls. The Albanian national escaped from the four-star Crowne Plaza hotel where he was being housed as an asylum seeker by climbing out of a window.
In a damning ruling last month, High Court judge Claire Padley told Zoto that by escaping the asylum hotel, he had “forfeited his right to claim asylum,” ending his three-year attempt to remain in Britain despite his criminal conviction.
Brazen Journey to Britain
Zoto’s route to Britain followed a well-worn path used by thousands of Albanian nationals. He flew from Albania to Belgium before taking a train to France, where he paid smugglers to transport him across the Channel to Dover.
When approached by an undercover Mail on Sunday reporter posing as a migrant, Zoto brazenly outlined his tactics. “They keep you in detention a maximum of two days, then send you to a hotel. In the detention centre it’s good conditions,” he said.
The 22-year-old advised others seeking to game the system: “You tell them you are married and that’s the end of the story. I left from the window of that hotel… Keep a low profile and after a month get a solicitor.”
His social media posts showed him laughing at British authorities, with videos featuring stacks of cash accompanied by laughing emojis, whilst he gloated about the ease of entering the country illegally.
Criminal Conviction Seals Fate
Zoto’s criminal activities caught up with him in November 2023 when police officers conducted a stop and search. He was subsequently convicted of dealing crack cocaine in April 2024, receiving a sentence of two years and nine months in prison.
Under British law, foreign criminals handed prison sentences exceeding one year automatically face deportation. However, Zoto managed to win the right to challenge the deportation order by claiming he was still awaiting the outcome of his asylum claim.
This legal manoeuvre allowed him to extend his stay in Britain for months longer, at considerable cost to taxpayers, before High Court judge Claire Padley definitively ruled that his escape from the asylum hotel meant he had forfeited any right to claim protection.
Albanian Crime Wave Sparks Concern
Zoto’s case exemplifies broader concerns about Albanian nationals exploiting Britain’s asylum system. Home Office figures reveal that Albanians have the highest arrest rate of any nationality in the UK, with 209.8 arrests per 1,000 of their population.
More than 1,200 Albanians are currently in British prisons, representing 12 per cent of all foreign national offenders despite making up less than 0.05 per cent of the UK population. Between 2021 and 2023, Albanians had the highest conviction rate of all nationalities in England and Wales at 4,028 per 10,000 of the population, thirty times higher than British nationals.
The National Crime Agency has warned that Albanian criminal gangs are using the small boats route to traffic drugs into Britain. Officials estimate that 75 per cent of Albanian nationals who arrived using small boats have committed at least one criminal offence in the UK.
Record Numbers Continue to Arrive
Despite government efforts to stem the flow, more than 36,800 migrants crossed the Channel by small boat in 2024, a 25 per cent increase from the previous year. Over 12,600 Albanian nationals have made the illegal crossing since 2022, though numbers dropped dramatically in 2023 following a returns agreement between London and Tirana.
The crisis has placed enormous strain on Britain’s asylum system, with the National Audit Office estimating costs could exceed £15 billion over ten years. Asylum seekers are routinely housed in hotels at taxpayer expense, with contracts worth £4 billion awarded to companies providing accommodation.
Alp Mehmet, Chairman of Migration Watch UK, condemned the handling of Zoto’s case: “Three years on from making his way here illegally in a small boat, Zoto is finally to be deported. He should have been refused entry and removed within hours of reaching the UK.”
“A system that allows such a chancer to string it out for three years, at huge cost to the taxpayer, is clearly in desperate need of reform,” Mehmet added.
Gaming the Modern Slavery System
The case highlights how criminal networks coach migrants to exploit Britain’s modern slavery laws. In 2022, 4,613 Albanians were referred into the National Referral Mechanism, representing 27 per cent of all referrals and the most common nationality overall.
The NCA claims Albanian nationals are “manipulating” modern slavery protections, with migrants coached before arrival to claim they are trafficking victims if caught working at cannabis farms or other criminal enterprises.
Robert Jenrick, the Shadow Justice Secretary, has called for nationality-based crime data to inform visa and deportation policies. “Such data would enable the Home Office to toughen up visa and deportation policies for nationalities linked to higher rates of crime in the UK,” he said.
What Happens Next
With Zoto’s legal avenues exhausted, he now faces imminent deportation to Albania. His case sets a precedent that absconding from asylum accommodation forfeits protection claims, potentially affecting hundreds of other cases.
The Labour government has pledged to “smash the gangs” operating the small boats trade but has yet to demonstrate significant progress. Border Force staff announced strike action in May 2025, further complicating efforts to control irregular migration.
As Britain grapples with record numbers of Channel crossings and an overwhelmed asylum system, cases like Zoto’s fuel public anger about border security and the exploitation of legal protections designed for genuine refugees.
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