Starmer is in Rome trying to boost joint-working with Britain’s European allies on border security — a key part of his election promise to Brits to “smash the gangs” he argues are driving irregular migration to the U.K.
Starmer, who is under some pressure from Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK, expressly hopes to learn from Meloni’s hardline immigration policies, which have included plans to send asylum seekers rescued at sea by Italian authorities to Albania while their claims are processed.
The PM confirmed Monday that he and Meloni had discussed Italy’s not-yet-operational Albania scheme. “We’ve discussed the concept of it, along with the prevention piece as well, because the numbers here, as I’ve said, have gone down quite significantly,” he said.
Starmer repeatedly pitched himself as a “pragmatic” leader open to solutions regardless of ideology.
But he stopped short of fully endorsing Meloni’s Albania plans, which have been delayed and are subject to some controversy in Italy.
Starmer added that while his government will look at everything that works, he said Italy’s drop in numbers of seaborne arrivals are “more likely attributable” to the work Meloni’s government had done “upstream” — i.e. trying to tackle the issue at source.