Sir Keir Starmer is hoping to learn lessons from the right-wing Italian government today as he holds meetings in Rome with Giorgia Meloni about different plans to tackle illegal migration.
Italy has experienced a 60% drop in illegal migration across the Mediterranean Sea in the past year and has recently signed a controversial deal with neighbouring Albania.
It comes as the government finally announced its new lead Border Security Command, the former NPCC chair Martin Hewitt, who has travelled with Sir Keir.
The pressing need to stop small boats crossing was reinforced at the weekend when eight people died attempting to get to England from France.
Speaking ahead of the visit, the prime minister said “No more gimmicks. This government will tackle the smuggling gangs who trade the lives of men, women and children across borders.
“Martin Hewitt’s unique expertise will lead a new era of international enforcement to dismantle these networks, protect our shores and bring order to the asylum system.”
Looking to curb migration to Italy, the Italian prime minister signed a deal with Albania last year to send some asylum-seekers to the Balkan country and process the asylum requests there.
Only those migrants who come from countries that Italy deems safe will be able to be processed in Albania.
At least 45 people have died in Channel crossings so far this year
Comparisons have been made with the scrapped Rwanda deal, however one key difference is that migrants sent to Rwanda would have needed to remain there even if they win refugee status.
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Eight dead after attempting to cross Channel
Is it really possible to ‘smash’ the smuggling gangs?
Asked whether he would consider a similar agreement, Sir Keir said this weekend: “Let’s see. It’s early days, I’m interested in how that works, I think everybody else is.”
The controversial deal has yet to be fully implemented. Italy has however also struck financial deals with Tunisia and Libya – where most people depart from for Europe.
The PM’s visit to Italy is also part of a wider policy to “reset” the UK’s relationship with various European countries and follows on from trips to Berlin, Paris and Dublin.
Italy is a key UK ally, being a member of NATO, G7 and EU player and the UK’s 9th largest trading partner with bilateral trade flows worth over £50bn.
As well as migration, defence cooperation and Ukraine are also likely to feature in the talks.
But it is migration that will dominate, with the appointment of Mr Hewitt to lead the UK’s new Border Security Command viewed as a key test for the government.
Martin Hewitt in 2021. Pic: PA
Hewitt is the former Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, a strategic coordination role, working with all of the UK’s police forces.
He said: “I am honoured and excited to lead this new and groundbreaking Command. I am under no illusions of the challenges that lie ahead, but I am determined to face them head-on.”
The Conservatives claimed the government has no real plan to solve the migration challenge.
A Conservative Party spokesman said: “Keir Starmer has absolutely no plan to stop the boats, and that’s why he’s now resorting to trying to copy others.
“But at the end of the day no amount of posturing from this Labour government will change the fact that they scrapped this country’s deterrent to illegal immigration and signalled to the vile people smuggling gangs they were not willing to take the serious action needed to stop the boats.
“Be in no doubt, this Labour government is not serious about securing our borders.”
