Keir Starmer said the UK is in talks to send failed asylum seekers to "return hubs" in other countries.

During a major press conference in Albania, the Prime Minister announced plans to step up efforts to break the crime web fuelling illegal migration across the Western Balkans.

He confirmed discussions were ongoing about sending people who have been through the UK asylum system to be processed elsewhere. It could mean asylum seekers are deported to have their claims processed if their bid to stay in the UK is unsuccessful.

The Prime Minister said the talks were happening with "a number of countries about return hubs". The Prime Minister would not say which countries the UK was in talks with, but added: "At the appropriate time, I'll be able to give you further details in relation to it."

Mr Starmer added to GB News: "What now we want to do and are having discussions of, talks of, is return hubs which is where someone has been through the system in the UK, they need to be returned and we have to make sure they're returned effectively and we'll do that, if we can, through return hubs.

"So that's what the talks are about. I would say in this area no single measure is going to be the measure that is, if you like, a silver bullet.

"By putting it all together - arrests, seizures, agreements with other countries, returning people who shouldn't be here, and return hubs, if we can through these talks to add to our armoury, will allow us to bear down on this vile trade and to make sure that we stop those people crossing the Channel."

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama suggested his country was not open to hosting UK return hubs. "We have been asked by several countries if we were open to it, and we said no, because we are loyal to the marriage with Italy and the rest is just love," he told reporters in Tirana.

During an historic first official visit to the country, Mr Starmer said the UK and Albania were beginning "the next chapter of our countries' strong relationship" as he spoke alongside his Albanian counterpart. He said his visit provided an "opportunity to see firsthand how our two countries are working together on some of the biggest challenges that we face", including migration.

He said the UK has agreed a "joint statement of intent" on defence industry co-operation with Albania. The PM said the countries would "work together on the manufacture and sale of military vehicles, so another important step forward for our two countries".

Mr Rama earlier hit out at how Albanians had been "stigmatised" in the UK. Speaking via a translator, he claimed citizens of the Balkan nation living in Britain had contributed in a "dignified way" but had been negatively represented "as if they were the problem of the UK" by "several media sources".

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It comes as the PM ramps up efforts to drive down legal and illegal migration, days after coming under fire for warning the UK risks becoming an "island of strangers".

Speaking before the press conference, the PM insisted he is "determined that we will retake control" of the UK's borders, during a visit to Albania. Mr Starmer said: "It is totally unacceptable that anybody is getting on a small boat and crossing the Channel to the United Kingdom.

"The last government lost control of the borders. I am determined that we will retake control of the borders. That means that we have got to have a concerted effort to smash the gangs that are running this vile trade."

He added: "What we have done in our joint work with Albania is shown that by working with other countries, this morning we saw law enforcement from Albania alongside law enforcement from the UK, driven down those numbers.

"I want to see more of that. We are absolutely determined that we are going to clear up the mess that we have been left and make sure that we get the control we need of our borders."