Keir Starmer and Giorgia Meloni to discuss migrant boat crossings

Meloni has overseen a 64% drop in migrant crossings from north Africa, but not without controversy.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersStarmer to discuss migrant boat crossings with Meloni in ItalyGetty ImagesSir Keir briefly met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Blenheim Palace in JulyPrime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he is “interested” in learning about Italy’s scheme to send migrants rescued at sea to Albania to process their asylum claims, ahead of his first official visit to Rome.

The British leader is set to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Monday.

Top of the agenda will be migration and how the UK can learn from Italy - the European Union member receiving the highest number of migrant arrivals, but which has recently seen a dramatic fall.

Asked whether he would consider a similar agreement to the one Italy struck with Albania, Sir Keir said this weekend: "Let's see. It's in early days, I'm interested in how that works, I think everybody else is.”

Sir Keir and Meloni are prime ministers on opposite political sides. One started off in politics by joining the young socialists and now leads a Labour government in the UK, while the other began with young neo-facists and now helms a right-wing coalition in Italy. Both, however, are keen to build on a crucial European relationship.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnvdy6ze761o

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