The prime minister Keir Starmer is visiting Rome this Monday to receive first-hand "lessons" from Prime Minister Georgia Meloni on how to combat and control irregular immigration. During his trip to Italy, Starmer is accompanied by former police chief Martin Hewitt, who heads the newly created Border Security Command.
Together, they will visit the so-called National Immigration Coordination Center and learn first-hand about the security reinforcement strategy and international cooperation (especially with Albania) that has reduced irregular immigration in Italy by up to 60% in the last year.
Starmer stated that the Italian government has "strong ideas that we are willing to discuss". When asked if he is willing to emulate Meloni's strategy, after having abandoned the "Rwanda plan" of his predecessor Rishi Sunak, the prime minister responded evasively: "We will see... It is still too early to know".
His visit to Italy comes a day after the eight new fatalities in the English Channel, bringing the death toll for September to 20. The tragic incident, when a boat carrying over 50 people sank, occurred in the early hours of Sunday north of Boulogne-sur-Mer.
More than 21,000 immigrants have managed to reach British shores this year, showing an increase since 2023, although far from the record of 45,755 crossings recorded in 2022.
Starmer assured that there will be no more "tricks" like the "Rwanda plan" to deport immigrants to the African country. "This government will confront the human trafficking gangs that negotiate with the lives of men, women, and children across our borders".
The "prime minister" highlighted the appointment of Martin Hewitt as "an expert with unique experience who will lead a new era of international implementation to dismantle these networks, protect our coasts, and streamline the asylum system".
"I have no illusions about the challenges we face, but we will face them," declared Hewitt upon taking the lead of the Border Security Command. "For too long, organized gangs have been able to send people to Europe to profit and are responsible for the deaths of innocent and vulnerable people. We will dismantle them and bring them to justice".
Meanwhile, groups like Amnesty International and the UK Refugee Council have raised the alarm about the meeting between Starmer and Meloni and have warned the prime minister not to try to emulate the drastic methods of the far-right in the UK.
The meeting with Giorgia Meloni has sparked internal criticism within the Labour Party. Several MPs have questioned whether Starmer "is seeking to receive lessons from a neo-fascist government".
Statements by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, stating that the British government will consider proposals such as "processing asylum requests through a third country like Albania," have caused a considerable stir within Labour ranks.