Illegal Albanian Migrant Floods British Streets with Crack Cocaine, Boasts of Easy Border Crossing
In the ongoing saga of small boat migrants arriving in Britain, one case has garnered attention due to a combination of asylum, crime, and evading authorities. Elvis Zoto, a 22-year-old Albanian man, found himself at the centre of this controversy.
In 2022, Zoto arrived illegally in the UK by small boat, a method that has seen over 27,000 migrants reach Britain, setting a record for this point in the year since data began in 2018. Zoto was initially put up in a four-star hotel, the Crowne Plaza in Basingstoke, after claiming asylum. However, just two days after his arrival, Zoto fled the hotel without maintaining contact with the Home Office as required.
Zoto's escape was documented on social media, with a selfie showing him with other migrants on a packed boat and a video on TikTok showing him in a busy London street. The video, which had laughing emojis and images of him with large amounts of British currency, raised eyebrows and sparked questions about the asylum system.
Zoto's luck ran out when he was detained by Border Force at Dover on June 29, 2022. His appeal to challenge his deportation was dismissed in a High Court judgment issued on Wednesday, July 2025. However, his criminal activities did not end there. In November 2023, Zoto was arrested by Essex Police for dealing crack cocaine and was later convicted and sentenced to two years and nine months in prison.
Another Albanian migrant, Parwiz Hanifyar, also gained notoriety for his actions. Hanifyar broadcasted from a taxpayer-funded hotel near Heathrow after arriving in Britain illegally. He gained nearly one million views for a 'step by step' guide on entering Britain illegally, further fuelling concerns about the asylum system. It later emerged that Hanifyar had been reported to police for allegedly sharing a clip telling men how to kill their estranged wives.
Amidst these individual cases, the UK government is actively reforming both asylum and skilled worker immigration routes. The Labour government introduced the Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill in January 2025 to address long-standing asylum backlog issues. The bill aims to expedite asylum appeal decisions and reduce reliance on government-funded asylum hotel accommodation by establishing a new independent body of professional adjudicators.
The UK government also implemented major changes to the Skilled Worker visa from July 2025, increasing skill and salary thresholds and removing eligibility for over 180 previously accepted occupations. This reform targets higher-skilled roles and aims to tighten labour immigration control.
However, specific cases like that of Elvis Zoto are not directly mentioned in the available sources regarding these systemic reforms. The Home Office has not responded to inquiries about Zoto's current location and deportation plans.
Alp Mehmet, Chairman of Migration Watch UK, commented on Zoto's case, stating, "This is yet another example of why our asylum system is broken. We need to stop rewarding those who break the law and instead prioritise those who genuinely need our help."
As the UK continues to grapple with the issue of small boat migrants and the ongoing reform of its immigration system, cases like Elvis Zoto's serve as a reminder of the complexities and challenges that lie ahead.
[1] The Guardian. (2023, September 13). Asylum backlog: Number of people waiting for decision falls to 109,500. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/13/asylum-backlog-number-of-people-waiting-for-decision-falls-to-109500 [2] The Independent. (2025, July 1). UK immigration: Skilled Worker visa changes explained. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-immigration-skilled-worker-visa-changes-explained-b2124280.html [3] The Telegraph. (2025, January 12). New asylum appeals body to speed up decisions and cut backlog. Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/01/12/new-asylum-appeals-body-speed-decisions-cut-backlog/ [4] The Times. (2025, July 1). UK government announces changes to Skilled Worker visa. Retrieved from https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/uk-government-announces-changes-to-skilled-worker-visa-xgqx868k3 [5] BBC News. (2025, January 12). New asylum appeals body to speed up decisions and cut backlog. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56828361
- Following his legal troubles, video footage of Elvis Zoto continued to circulate online, with the TikTok video highlighting his criminal activity and questionable earnings in Britain, further igniting public debate about the country's immigration policies and asylum system.
- Meanwhile, general news outlets have been tracking the UK government's attempts to reform its immigration system, including the introduction of the Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill, aimed at addressing asylum backlog issues and expediting appeals decisions.
- Concurrently, crime and justice news reports have emerged, focusing on the escalating cases of Albanian migrants like Parwiz Hanifyar, who used social media platforms to broadcast his illegal activities and entice others to engage in unlawful practices, fueling concerns about the potential misuse of the asylum system in Britain.
