During a visit to Rome on Monday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to usher in “a new era” of cross-border collaboration to combat people smuggling gangs. This commitment was made during discussions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, marking a significant shift in the UK’s relations with Europe.
Since securing victory in the July election, Starmer has prioritized restoring relationships with European Union leaders. His recent visit to Rome, following previous trips to Berlin, Paris, and Dublin, marked yet another step in this diplomatic initiative.
Before discussions with Meloni, known for her strong connections to Starmer’s predecessor Rishi Sunak, the British leader pledged “a new era of international enforcement to dismantle these networks, protect our shores, and bring order to the asylum system.”
Starmer has abandoned the former government’s controversial strategy to send asylum seekers arriving in small boats to Rwanda for deportation. However, he has not dismissed the possibility of establishing offshore processing for asylum claims, akin to Italy’s agreement with Albania.
Interior Minister Yvette Cooper expressed interest in the ongoing efforts between Italy and Albania during an interview with ITV, noting that these initiatives are still in their preliminary phases.
“Our primary focus is addressing organized immigration crime, particularly the smuggling and trafficking networks, as these efforts yield immediate results.”
On Sunday, French officials reported that eight individuals lost their lives while attempting to cross the Channel to the UK after their vessel encountered difficulties. This tragic incident has raised the total number of fatalities in such crossings to 46 since the beginning of the year.
The Labour government, led by Starmer, has announced plans to intensify deportation flights and allocate funds saved from the Rwanda scheme to bolster law enforcement efforts to address illegal crossings.
During his visit to Italy, Starmer engaged with officials at the National Coordination Centre for Migration to examine the country’s migration strategy, which, according to his office, has reportedly resulted in a 60% decrease in irregular sea arrivals.
Starmer wanted to comprehend the significant reduction observed, stating, “I want to understand how that came about.” He further emphasized the need for insight into “upstream” efforts aimed at preventing individuals from embarking on their journeys and other related initiatives.
During the discussions with Meloni, he is expected to address defense issues, potentially including Britain’s participation in the GCAP fighter jet initiative alongside Italy and Japan.
Starmer highlighted the program’s significance in July, raising concerns that it might be eliminated in a forthcoming defense. However, he refrained from providing any assurances regarding Britain’s ongoing participation.
