The 'prime minister' Keir Starmer is visiting Rome to receive first-hand "lessons" from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on how to combat and control irregular immigration. During his trip to Italy, Starmer has been accompanied by former police chief Martin Hewitt, who heads the newly created Border Security Command.
"Italy has achieved a drastic reduction in illegal immigration and I want to understand how it happened", Starmer declared in his first meeting with Giorgia Meloni, with whom he exchanged laughs in front of the photographers.
"It seems that they have done work at the source, with the countries where the people come from," added the prime minister. "I have always believed that prevention and stopping these people from traveling from their countries of origin is the best way to address this issue."
"I am interested in learning more details about the work they have done, and that is what we want to discuss in our bilateral meeting," Starmer said before meeting with Meloni. "We share the intention to end this vile business that pushes people across borders."
Starmer and Hewitt will visit the so-called National Immigration Coordination Center and will firsthand learn about the security reinforcement strategy and international cooperation (especially with Albania) that has allowed a reduction of up to 60% in irregular immigration in Italy in the last year.
Starmer went even further in closing his meeting with Meloni and proclaimed the beginning of "a new era" in relations with Italy, taking over from his predecessor Rishi Sunak. Starmer personally thanked Meloni for "the leadership shown in supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia."
Emulating Meloni's strategy?
Starmer stated before the meeting with the Italian prime minister 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 that bring the mournful count for September to 20. The tragic incident, when a boat with over 50 people on board 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 from 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 have ahead, but we will face them," declared Hewitt when 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 United Kingdom.
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."
The statements by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, claiming that the British government will consider proposals such as "processing asylum requests through a third country like Albania," have caused a considerable stir within the Labour ranks.