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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Meets Italian Counterpart Giorgia Meloni to Discuss Immigration Challenges
Keir Starmer's controversial meeting with far-right Italian leader Giorgia Meloni on immigration strategies faces criticism from within his party.
ND
by News Desk
2024-09-16
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Meets Italian Counterpart Giorgia Meloni to Discuss Immigration Challenges

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has traveled to Rome to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to explore solutions for tackling irregular immigration. The visit, which took place on Monday, has garnered attention due to its timing and the political affiliations of Meloni, who leads the far-right Brothers of Italy party.

 

Starmer’s visit is part of his broader effort to address illegal immigration in the UK, a pressing issue that has seen over 22,000 migrants crossing the English Channel this year alone. The trip aims to understand Italy’s significant decrease in migrant arrivals, a reduction attributed to various policy measures.

 

During the visit, Starmer toured a national immigration coordination centre with Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi. The centre’s role is to manage migration flows and coordinate efforts between various agencies.

 

The meeting with Meloni has faced criticism from within Starmer’s Labour Party. Labour MP Kim Johnson expressed concern about Starmer's decision to engage with what she termed a "neo-fascist government," especially in the wake of recent far-right riots in the UK targeting migrant communities.

 

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the collaboration, highlighting the moral imperative to combat criminal gangs involved in human trafficking. Despite rejecting the previous Conservative government's plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, Starmer has not dismissed the possibility of offshore processing arrangements.

 

Italy has implemented several strategies to manage migration, including agreements with Albania, Tunisia, and Libya. These deals focus on preventing departures and processing asylum claims. However, human rights groups have criticized these policies, particularly the arrangements with Libya, citing concerns about the return of refugees to conditions of abuse.

 

Starmer noted that Italy's reduced migrant arrivals are a result of preventive measures in countries of origin, emphasizing that tackling the root causes of migration can be an effective strategy.

 

The decline in migrant arrivals to Italy is significant. From January 1 to September 13, 2024, Italy saw 44,675 arrivals, a sharp decrease from 125,806 during the same period in 2023.

 
Tagged:

UKPolitics

Immigration

LabourParty

KeirStarmer

GiorgiaMeloni
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