British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Monday to address illegal immigration, a day after a tragic Channel shipwreck claimed eight lives.
Starmer, leader of the centre-left Labour Party, which won a decisive parliamentary majority in July, has made combating illegal immigration a priority. This issue has long been contentious in British politics.
Following Starmer’s election, far-right riots erupted across England and Northern Ireland, marking the worst unrest in the UK since 2011, with mosques and migrant centres being targeted.
The dangerous cross-Channel journeys attempted by migrants from northern France remain a significant challenge for British leaders. On Sunday, eight migrants drowned when their overcrowded boat capsized, bringing this year’s death toll for Channel crossings to 46.
The UK interior ministry reported that around 800 migrants crossed the Channel on Saturday, the second-highest number this year.
Starmer has rejected the Conservative government’s plan to send all illegal migrants to Rwanda while their asylum claims were processed. Instead, reports suggest he is considering Italy’s approach under Meloni, leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party. Italy is at the forefront of the EU’s migration crisis.
Last November, Italy signed an agreement with Albania to open two centres where migrants would be housed while their asylum claims are reviewed. Italy manages and funds these centres, capable of holding up to 3,000 migrants. Those whose claims are rejected are sent back to their home countries, while successful applicants can enter Italy.
This contrasts with the UK’s Rwanda plan, under which migrants sent to Rwanda could never settle in Britain, regardless of their claim’s outcome.
Starmer expressed interest in Italy’s strategy, stating, “It’s early days, but I’m keen to see how that works.”
Starmer and Meloni’s meeting was scheduled for midday, and Martin Hewitt, the head of the UK’s new Border Security Command, accompanied Starmer.
Meloni’s government has also struck a deal with Tunisia, offering aid in exchange for stricter controls on Tunisia’s migrant departures. Italy’s migrant arrivals by sea have significantly decreased, with 44,675 arrivals between January and mid-September, compared to 125,806 for the same period last year.
AFP
