Starmer Heads to Italy to Study Migrant Crisis Solutions

Keir Starmer, leader of the UK's Labour Party, is set to visit Italy this weekend to examine the country's successful strategies in reducing illegal migrant crossings. The visit comes as Italy reports a significant decrease in unauthorized arrivals, drawing attention from British politicians seeking solutions to the ongoing migrant crisis.

Italy, a major entry point for asylum seekers in Europe, has managed to cut unauthorized migrant arrivals on its southern coasts by two-thirds in 2024. According to Italy's interior ministry, the number of arrivals has dropped to 44,495, compared to 122,823 in the previous year and 64,000 in 2022.

Giorgia Meloni's government has implemented several measures to achieve this reduction. Emanuele Prisco, deputy interior minister, stated, "In the last six months, we have seen a significant decrease in the number of boat landings, a drop of around 60 percent, which demonstrates the efficacy of the measures we have adopted to fight the human traffickers and reinforce our national borders."

The Italian approach includes enhanced border checks and international agreements with countries like Tunisia. These efforts mirror the UK's £490 million agreement with France to fund additional police and Border Force officers to prevent boat departures from North Africa.

Italy has also introduced controversial regulations for NGO rescue ships, limiting them to picking up migrants from only one boat at a time and requiring immediate return to designated ports, often in northern Italy. This policy has effectively reduced the number of rescues these organizations can perform.

In a move that has drawn comparisons to the UK's Rwanda scheme, Italy has negotiated a deal with Albania to process asylum claims offshore. The agreement, set for an initial five-year period, aims to process up to 36,000 migrants annually at a center being constructed near the Albanian port of Shengjin.

Starmer's visit to Italy and his meeting with Meloni underscore the Labour Party's interest in exploring alternative approaches to managing the migrant crisis. The two leaders previously met during the European Political Community gathering at Blenheim Palace in July 2024, where they agreed to maintain close coordination on addressing the international migrant crisis.

"I'm a practical person — I've always said I will look at what works. Where cases can be processed closer to origin, that is something which ought to be looked at."

This statement from Starmer at the July meeting indicates a potential shift in Labour's approach to asylum processing, suggesting openness to exploring offshore options. However, he emphasized that the main focus of the 44 leaders at the European Political Community meeting was tackling people-smuggling gangs.

As the UK continues to grapple with its own challenges related to small boat crossings in the English Channel, Starmer's visit to Italy represents an effort to learn from successful strategies implemented by other European nations. The outcome of this visit could potentially influence future UK policies on migration and asylum processing.