London/Rome: British PM Keir Starmer will meet with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Tuesday to discuss the growing menace of illegal immigration. This is the most prominent meeting of his tenure after the PM as a calamity in the Channel marred Sunday, where eight migrants drowned. The shipwreck took the death toll from the migrant channel this year to 46.
Channel Crossings SurgeAccording to the UK Interior Ministry, the latest statistics have revealed that approximately 800 migrants have been reported to have crossed the Channel on Saturday as part of the second-highest recorded figure for 2024. This surge in crossings only emphasizes the need for a workable and effective immigration policy.
Starmer’s New Direction
Within the last eight months since he won the July election, Starmer has made it pretty clear that he is going to cut illegal immigration into the United Kingdom. This puts him in direct conflict with the then Conservative government over the unpopular idea of removing illegal migrants to Rwanda. Starmer seems to take a hint from the latest strategy that Italy has adopted towards managing migration.
Italy’s Migration Strategy
Under Meloni, Italy has accepted running two centers in Albania for processing migrants in the Balkans as of November 2023. The two centers will deal with 3,000 migrants; they are sheltered as the asylum seekers await hearings associated with their claims. It allows migrants whose claims are rejected to be returned to their countries of origin, which is not the case of the UK’s former Rwanda program, where migrants are outlawed from settling in Britain even if their claims are accepted.
European Union Coordination
Meloni’s government succeeded in reaching an agreement with Tunisia, which it had targeted for reducing migrant departures from North Africa. “It’s a deal that underlines how we work together in dealing with the flow of migrations across the Mediterranean,” she added.
Decline in Migrants Arriving in Italy
According to the Italian Interior Ministry, that is the biggest decline in sea arrivals this year. From January 1 up to September 13, 2024, Italy has seen 44,675 migrant entries; a drastic decline from 125,806 registered in that period in 2023.
Looking AheadStarmer and Meloni are bound to discuss strategies to enhance coordinated action regarding the challenge of migration. Newly appointed chief of the UK’s Border Security Command, Martin Hewitt, is accompanying Starmer on this key visit.
The two leaders are taking a massive step in the international debate that so far is unfolding relating to migration, with both looking for ways of the development of strategies that balance humanitarian concerns with effective border management.
