UK PM Starmer and Italy’s Meloni Discuss Illegal Immigration

Following a sad tragedy in the Channel that claimed the lives of eight migrants, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with his Italian colleague, Giorgia Meloni, in Rome on Monday to discuss steps to curb illegal immigration.

Starmer has made combating illegal immigration, a long-standing divisive topic in British politics, a top priority since his center-left Labour Party gained a sizable parliamentary majority in July. The biggest unrest to hit the UK since 2011 coincided with his election, with far-right riots breaking out in both England and Northern Ireland, frequently targeting mosques and migrant shelter centers.

The perilous voyages across the Channel that refugees from northern France undertake have consistently presented a challenge to succeeding British prime ministers. The UK Interior Ministry reports that 800 persons crossed the Channel on Saturday, the second-highest number this year, following the recent capsizing tragedy, which raised the death toll for this year to 46.

The plan by the former Conservative administration to send all unlawful migrants to Rwanda so they may apply for asylum has been rejected by Starmer. Apparently, he is more intrigued by Meloni’s approach. Under the leadership of Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy party, Albania and Italy have reached an agreement for the establishment of two camps in the Balkan nation where refugees can be lodged while their asylum claims are being handled. Up to 3,000 migrants will be housed in these camps, which are sponsored and run by Italy. Those who are turned away will be returned to their home countries, while those who are accepted will be allowed entry into Italy.

This strategy is different from the UK’s previous Rwanda program, which forbade immigrants from relocating to the country regardless of the fate of their asylum claims.