Starmer Explores Italian Approach to Stopping Migrant Boats

Sir Keir Starmer has expressed interest in studying Italy's asylum processing agreement with Albania as part of a pragmatic approach to addressing the issue of migrant boats crossing the English Channel. Speaking to reporters, Starmer shared that he had discussed the concept of Italy's deal during talks in Rome with the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni.

Meloni confirmed that Starmer had shown great interest in the scheme, which involves sending some migrants rescued in Italian waters to Albania to have their asylum claims processed. Starmer also highlighted Italy’s agreements with North African countries, aimed at reducing the number of boat crossings.

Italy’s Deal with Albania and Migration Partnerships

Under Italy's five-year agreement with Albania, some migrants intercepted by the Italian coastguard will be transferred to Albanian facilities for asylum processing. These centres, funded and managed by Italy, will process asylum applications, with successful applicants allowed to resettle in Italy as refugees. Those whose claims are rejected will be detained in Albania until they can be returned to their home countries.

This deal, which is set to cost €670m (£564m), was initially scheduled to begin in August but has faced delays. Despite the delay, Starmer expressed his interest in the scheme and confirmed he had discussed it with both Meloni and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama during a previous summit of European leaders.

Learning from Italy’s North African Agreements

Starmer also expressed a keen interest in Italy's agreements with Tunisia and Libya. These agreements provide financial aid to Tunisia in exchange for greater efforts to prevent migrants from crossing the Mediterranean. In Libya, Italy funds and trains the coastguard to intercept boats attempting to reach Europe. Starmer believes these upstream prevention efforts have been more influential in reducing the number of migrant arrivals in Italy, which has seen a 64% decrease in crossings from Africa this year.

"Preventing people from leaving their countries in the first place is far better than managing those who have already arrived," Starmer said, indicating his interest in applying similar strategies to the UK’s migration challenges.

A Return to British Pragmatism

Starmer framed his interest in Italy's approach as part of a "return to British pragmatism", where the UK works with international allies to find practical solutions to common challenges. He stated, "We are pragmatists first and foremost. When we see a challenge, we discuss with our friends and allies the different approaches being taken and look at what works."

However, some Labour backbenchers have expressed concern over Starmer’s engagement with Meloni's government. Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson described Starmer’s interest in the Italian government’s approach as "disturbing", while Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, argued that the UK should not be taking lessons from Italy on migration.

Italy’s Migration Strategy: A Model for the UK?

While Starmer has shown a clear interest in Italy's migration strategies, it remains uncertain how applicable these methods will be for the UK. Italy’s agreement with Albania and its partnerships with North African nations have sparked controversy, particularly among human rights groups, raising questions about the broader implications of adopting such measures in the UK.

Nonetheless, Starmer remains focused on learning from Italy’s experiences and applying a pragmatic approach to managing migration, with the goal of reducing the number of dangerous crossings in the English Channel.