Home Office proposes £3,000 relocation to Albania for Scottish Syrian family

The Home Office wrote to Syrian asylum seekers Fadi and Lojain Alsakka, proposing a £3,000 payment to settle in Albania, a nation none of them have ever been to. The family, residing in Glasgow with their children Ayman (11) and Ayla (10), argues that the mistake resulted from the Home Office’s hurried use of AI to clear a backlog of claims, a system previously found inaccurate in 22% of reviewed cases. They have previously endured bureaucratic errors, including five incorrect UK ID cards that printed their son’s face.

Their asylum refusal, which they are contesting, contains factual errors about the timing of a 2025 incident in Syria. The rejection also oddly suggests relocation to Aleppo, which the Alsakkas deem impossible. They plan to challenge the decision in a court hearing set for early 2027, hoping a judge will assess the case on human-rights grounds rather than political pressure.