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A UK-based Albanian rapper has mocked the government’s crackdown on the Channel crossing in a video clip by kicking a TV screen showing Suella Braverman.
London-based artist OG Merks, real name Bledar Ramaj, mocks a speech by the Home Secretary during the YouTube clip for his song ‘Marco From Tropoja’.
Ramaj, 34, can be seen in the video with others, some of whom wear masks to cover their faces, in a room where the Albanian national flag hangs.
The rapper puts a wad of money through a counting machine, while Ms. Braverman’s speech can be heard about the ‘surge’ of Albanians who ‘abus the modern slavery laws’.
Ramaj then shouts in Albanian to ‘turn up the volume’ before walking over to the television, kicking it aggressively and throwing it on a table.
Suella Braverman’s speech to parliament about the ‘wave’ of Albanians is played on TV
The title of the song refers to the name of an Albanian gang leader in the 2008 Liam Neeson movie ‘Taken’ about a kidnapped girl, and the area the character comes from.
Ramaj hasn’t had mainstream success in the UK charts, but he has over 4,500 monthly listeners on Spotify and nearly 3,000 YouTube subscribers.
OG Merks also once featured on the BBC Asian Network, when he rapped for ‘Hype On The Mic’ hosted by DJ Limelight and Kan D Man in November 2018.
But he has been criticized by the Shpresa charity programme, which promotes the participation of Albanian-speaking refugees and migrants in the UK.
The rapper walks over to the television, kicks it aggressively and throws it on a table
The TV is smashed in the YouTube clip for the rapper’s song “Marco From Tropoja.”
A spokesman for the London-based group told the Daily telegram: ‘Rappers like him are a problem in our community.
‘They set a bad example for young people in the Albanian community. They are a bad example for other young people in Albania who want to go to the UK.’
Last month Ms Braverman met with Albanian Home Secretary Bledar Cuci in London, and a UK government source said Mr Cuci indicated his compatriots were ‘playing the system’.
The high-level meeting heard that Albanian nationals are making ongoing efforts to exploit the immigration laws in European countries – with Britain currently the main focus.
You can also see how the rapper runs a thick stack of banknotes through a counting machine
OG Merks has 4,500 monthly listeners on Spotify and almost 3,000 YouTube subscribers
Last year, nearly 13,000 Albanians crossed the Channel by small boat, up from just 800 in the previous 12 months.
Numbers fell from the fall, but Interior Ministry officials have warned they expect another wave of Albanian arrivals this spring.
Many are making claims under the UK asylum system or under ‘modern slavery’ rules.
Figures released earlier this month showed modern slavery claims hit an all-time high last year, boosted by a surge in Albanian claims.
Of the 16,938 modern slavery claims filed in 2022, 4,613 were filed by Albanian nationals, an 84 percent increase year-on-year, Interior Ministry data showed.
OG Merks once featured on the BBC Asian Network on ‘Hype On The Mic’ in November 2018
The title ‘Marco From Tropoja’ refers to the name of an Albanian gang leader in the 2008 Liam Neeson movie ‘Taken’ about a kidnapped girl, and the area the character comes from
Last November, senior officials of the “British FBI” warned that Albanian criminals are engaged in “blatant manipulation” of modern slavery laws.
The National Crime Agency said Albanian organized crime groups bring workers to Britain by small boat to work in the drug trade and coach them on how to exploit modern slavery laws if they are arrested.
Sunak signed a joint communiqué with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in December outlining how they will fight illegal migration.
MailOnline has contacted an OG Merks representative today for comment.
Horrifying moment Albanian rapper smashes TV screen showing Suella Braverman speech