Quotes
Every week thousands of migrants cross the Mediterranean to reach Italy, to enter Europe illegally, many of them even cross the English Channel ... it's clearly a phenomenon that affects the whole European continent,
What we discussed today is a common challenge ... and we've discussed in particular ... how do you deal with this? (The answer is) by collaborating, cooperating, sharing data, intelligence, etc,
he told a joint press conference, We agree with Prime Minister Starmer that the first thing we need to do is to intensify the fight against human trafficking, do it by uniting our efforts much more,
The prime minister reflected on his visit to the National Coordination Centre in Rome this morning, accompanied by the UK’s newly appointed border security commander, Martin Hewitt. They agreed to take immediate steps to enhance our cross-border collaboration, learning from Italy’s success at reducing illegal migration by 60% in the last year through upstream work and enforcement.”
A Downing Street spokesperson said No nation by itself can be effective in dismantling” the human trafficking network
Meloni told the joint press conference There is clearly some truce. Meloni did not want Italy to be inundated [with people arriving] for the duration of the G7. How do you stop them coming otherwise?”
The agreements with Tunisia and Libya support the systematic violation of basic human rights,
This is the only way to create a system that is effective and compassionate, and one where people are not forced to risk their lives making treacherous journeys in the first place,
You've made remarkable progress working with countries along migration routes as equals to address the drivers of migration at the source and to tackle the gangs,
Starmer told Meloni during a joint press conference in Rome As a result, irregular arrivals to Italy by sea are down 60% since 2022,
said Starmer, who has vowed to fight illegal migration at home And I've never accepted... that we can't do the same with smuggling gangs,
I've always made the argument that preventing people leaving their country in the first place is far better than trying to deal with those that have arrived in any of our countries,
We are pragmatists first and foremost, when we see a challenge, we discuss with our friends and allies the different approaches that are being taken, look at what works,
It is only by resetting our relationships around the world that we can break down the barriers that have been holding the U.K. back for so long,
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,
I’ve long believed, by the way, that prevention and stopping people travelling in the first place is one of the best ways to deal with this particular issue,
I’m here to discuss how we manage unlawful migration. Italy has seen dramatic reductions, and I want to understand the factors behind this success. It appears that significant progress has been made through upstream work in the countries migrants are departing from.”
When asked about the possibility of the UK adopting a similar arrangement to Italy’s Albania deal, Sir Keir said We’ve always worked with governments of different political orientations, especially those of our closest neighbours facing shared challenges. It’s a sensible approach for any government.”
Responding to criticisms of Italy's migration policy, Ms Cooper noted The Italians are accelerating returns for those without a legal right to stay, a practice we've also increased over the summer. It’s crucial to enforce these rules.”
Here, there's been some quite dramatic reduction (in migrant arrival numbers) so I want to understand how that came about,
Starmer said in Rome ahead of his meeting with Meloni