UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome to discuss cooperation on tackling illegal migration. Starmer announced a contribution of €4.75 million to Meloni’s “Rome Process” initiative, which aims to address the root causes of illegal migration and crack down on smugglers. Starmer praised Italy for reducing irregular migrant arrivals by sea by 60% since 2022. Despite political differences, Starmer commended Italy’s approach and expressed interest in their methods.
Amnesty International criticized Italy’s processing centers for asylum seekers in Albania, which they called a stain on the government. More than 22,000 migrants have crossed from France to the UK this year, while Italy has seen a 60% decrease in migrant arrivals by sea. Meloni’s government has implemented measures to deter migrants, including deals with African countries to block departures and limit the work of rescue ships.
Italy’s cooperation with Albania includes taking some male migrants rescued at sea to Albania for asylum processing. However, Italian prosecutors are seeking a six-year prison sentence for Deputy PM Matteo Salvini for refusing to allow a humanitarian NGO ship carrying migrants to dock in 2019. Despite this, Salvini has received support from the Italian premier and his coalition partner.
Starmer and Meloni discussed deepening cooperation, sharing intelligence, and shutting down smugglers’ routes to combat illegal migration effectively. The meeting highlighted Italy’s successful efforts in reducing irregular migrant arrivals and explored potential solutions such as the Italy-Albania agreement. Italy’s tough stance on migration under Meloni’s leadership has shown results, but also faced criticism and legal challenges.
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