- Italy-Albania asylum agreement reduces illegal migration
- UK exploring similar ideas, dismissing Rwanda plan
- Starmer meets Meloni to discuss migration solutions
Giorgia Meloni’s agreement with Albania will see Tirana accept asylum seekers on Italy’s behalf while their applications are reviewed.
Sir Keir Starmer hopes to take lessons from the right-wing Italian administration today as he meets with Giorgia Meloni in Rome to discuss various plans to combat illegal migration.
Italy has seen a 60% decrease in illegal migration across the Mediterranean Sea in the last year, and it recently reached a contentious agreement with neighboring Albania.
It comes as the government announces Martin Hewitt, the former NPCC head who has traveled with Sir Keir, as the new leader of the Border Security Command.
The urgent need to prohibit small boat crossing was highlighted over the weekend when eight people perished while attempting to reach England from France.
The prime minister stated ahead of the visit: “No more gimmicks. This administration will take on smuggling gangs that trade the lives of men, women, and children across borders.
Martin Hewitt’s particular skills will usher in a new era of international enforcement, dismantling these networks, protecting our coasts, and restoring order to the asylum system.
To reduce migration to Italy, the Italian prime minister negotiated an agreement with Albania last year to send certain asylum applicants to the Balkan country and process their applications there.
Only migrants from Italy’s designated safe nations will be processed in Albania.
Comparisons have been made to the canceled Rwanda arrangement. Still, one significant difference is that migrants transported to Rwanda would have had to stay there even if they were granted refugee status.
Speaking to reporters in Rome, Sir Keir highlighted the “remarkable decreases” in irregular migration to Italy since the program was launched, adding, “I want to understand how it came about.
“This is due to upstream work in some nations where individuals are arriving. I’ve long maintained that preventing people from traveling in the first place is one of the most effective methods to deal with this particular issue.
So, I am highly interested in learning how the upstream work went and, of course, looking at different ideas. I’m looking forward to my bilateral with the prime minister this afternoon, but we’ve already agreed to work together on this horrible trade of moving people across borders.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also hinted that the UK would be interested in a similar arrangement, though she emphasized it was not the same as the previous government’s Rwanda plan.
“We will be interested to see how [the Albania scheme] develops,” she told Kay Burley. “We’ve always said we’d look into what works.
“The Conservatives ran the Rwanda plan for two and a half years. They spent £700 million on sending four volunteers to Rwanda. That is not a viable program.
“Italy’s relationship with Albania is substantially different. It essentially involves having a fast track for people who have arrived from predominantly secure countries and a plan overseen by the UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) to ensure that adequate criteria are in place. We will see how it evolves.”
When Kay Burley asked whether the government was considering the change, Ms Cooper replied: “It is not in place right now. So, as we’ve always stated, we’ll look at anything that works.
“But no, that’s not the scheme we’re looking at now.”
The contentious agreement has yet to be implemented entirely. Italy has, however, established financial accords with Tunisia and Libya, from whence the majority of refugees depart for Europe.
Shadow policy minister Matt Vickers chastised the prime minister for “ditching the deterrent” he believed the Rwanda plan provided.
While he did not believe the government would pursue an Albania-style system, he did suggest that the Conservatives would be willing to consider it.
“I think we would look at any specifics that came forward… any transaction that came ahead,” he told Kay Burley.”
“But in reality, what we’ve seen from [Sir Keir’s] frontbench is comments that sending people to Albania is unconscionable, as his home affairs spokesman told us… they said it was wrong.
This is the guy who voted against everything we did to reform the law and deport individuals.
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The Prime Minister’s visit to Italy is part of a more extensive campaign to “reset” the UK’s relationships with various European countries, following previous travels to Berlin, Paris, and Dublin.
Italy is a critical UK friend, joining NATO, the G7, and the EU. It is also the UK’s ninth largest commercial partner, with annual trade flows totaling more than £50 billion.
Migration, defense cooperation, and Ukraine are all likely to be discussed during the talks.
However, migration will dominate, with Mr Hewitt’s nomination to command the UK’s new Border Security Command seen as a significant test for the government.
Hewitt formerly chaired the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which was responsible for strategic coordination with the UK police forces.
He said, “I am honored and excited to lead this new groundbreaking Command.” I have no illusions about the obstacles ahead, but I am ready to meet them immediately.
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