Alongside Meloni, Sunak says he is ready to 'break with the consensus' to tackle immigration

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in Rome on Saturday that he and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni were ready to "break with the consensus" to tackle illegal immigration.

Giorgia Meloni and Rishi Sunak in Rome on Saturday, December 16, 2023. AP - Alessandra Tarantino

By: Internet Editorial Board

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Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was speaking at a political rally organised by Italy's far-right party, Fratelli d'Italia. The two leaders promised to tackle the problem of large numbers of arrivals on their countries' shores, and signed a joint letter in October calling on European Union leaders to take tougher action against illegal immigration.

Rishi Sunak has called for increased efforts to combat smugglers, but also to deter would-be migrants. "For this deterrence to be credible, we will have to act differently, break with the consensus. Giorgia and I are ready to do it," he said. "If we don't address the problem, the number of people will only increase and our countries and our ability to help those who need it most will be overwhelmed," he said.

Giorgia Meloni and Rishi Sunak met with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Saturday and agreed to "further intensify cooperation against smugglers", the Italian prime minister's office said.

Agreements with Albania

Italy and the United Kingdom have both signed agreements with Albania to limit the illegal entry of migrants from that country. Almost a third of those who arrived illegally by boat on British shores in 2022 were Albanian nationals, or nearly 13,000 migrants out of a total of 45,000. London and Tirana have therefore agreed that Albanians who arrive in the UK by boat could be sent directly back to their country of origin.

According to Mr Sunak, who has made tackling illegal immigration a priority of his tenure, the deal has reduced illegal Albanian arrivals by 90%. The British prime minister is also trying to convince MPs to vote in favour of a controversial law to send migrants who arrive illegally in Rwanda.

Last month, Giorgia Meloni and Edi Rama also signed an agreement to build two centres in Albania to house migrants trying to reach Italy, but the agreement still needs to overcome many legislative and legal hurdles in Albania before it can be implemented.

(

With AFP)

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