During a press conference, Italian journalist asked about the cooperation on immigration between Italy and the UK. Meloni mentioned her government’s plan for illegal migration and the potential for collaboration between the two countries’ law enforcement agencies. She emphasized the need for international cooperation to combat traffickers effectively. Meloni also mentioned Starmer’s interest in Italy’s plan to offshore asylum applications in Albania, although the program had not yet started and might be delayed. Starmer, in response, highlighted the importance of British pragmatism in addressing challenges and commended Italy’s progress in working with other countries to tackle the drivers of migration and combat trafficking gangs. They also discussed investment opportunities, Ukraine, and the Middle East during their meeting.
Starmer ‘very interested’ in Italy’s plan to offshore asylum applications in Albania, says Meloni – UK politics live | Politics
Starmer ‘very interested’ in Italy’s plan to offshore asylum applications in Albania, Meloni says
The first question comes from an Italian journalist.
Q: How will your cooperation on immigration play out?
Meloni says her government has a plan for illegal migration. She says Italy and the UK may be able to extend the work done by law enforcement agencies. And there may be scope for making sure their legislation is “in greater harmony” in the future, she says.
The traffickers work internationally, she says. She says:
No nation by itself can be effective in dismantling these networks of traffickers.
On Albania, she says Starmer was “very interested” in the Italian plan to process asylum applications offshore in Albania.
She says the programme has not started. But it may be delayed for a few weeks, she says.
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Starmer ducks question about whether he will continue to take gifts from Lord Alli
Q: [Also from Matt Dathan from the Times] Will you stop accepting gifts from Lord Alli?
Starmer says:
In relation to your question about gifts, look, the rules are absolutely clear in relation to gifts, in terms of the declarations that need to be made.
I said before the election, I say again after election, the rules really matter in terms of declarations.
That’s why my team reached out for advice on what to declare from the relevant authorities. They reached out again, more recently, got further advice and hence the declarations have gone in in accordance with the rules, so that it’s transparent and you can all see, according to the rules, exactly what declarations were made.
But it was because I insist on the rules that my team reached out to make sure that we were declaring in the right way under the rules, and then reached out against the appropriate authorities, basically asking for advice about what’s the appropriate way to deal with this.
He does not address the actual question, which was about whether he would continue to take gifts from Lord Alli.
Keir Starmer speaking at the press conference. Photograph: Andrew Medichini/APShare
Starmer says 3,000 migrants flown home since Labour won election, including ‘single biggest ever’ repatriation flight
Q: [From Matt Dathan from the Times] Unlike Rishi Sunak, you are not saying you can stop the boats. Was he unrealistic?
Starmer says the Rwanda plan was a gimmick. He repeats the point about being pragmatic. (See 2.04pm.)
UPDATE: Starmer said:
Rather than a gimmick, which, as you know, cost £700 million to persuade four volunteers to go to Rwanda, we have gone down the road of pragmatism.
Already we have returned over 3,000 people by flights. So, the flights actually did get off under this government, not to Rwanda, but back to countries of origin, carrying with them 3,000 people who shouldn’t be here, including the single biggest flight that has ever taken off, returning people to their country of origin.
That’s why we’re working so intently on the Border Security Command, which is intended to take down the gangs that are running the vile trade in the first place.
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Updated at 14.33 BST
Starmer says he wants to put Ukraine ‘in best possible position’
The next question is from an Italian journalist, who asks if the leaders favour Ukraine being allowed to use Storm Shadow missiles against targets in Russian territory.
Meloni says she wants to see 360 degree support for Ukraine.
Starmer says Russia started the war. He says he wants to support Ukraine. He says they discussed equipment today, but he will not discuss the details.
UPDATE: Starmer said:
I think it’s very important as a matter of principle that we put Ukraine in the best possible position, and that’s what we’ve been discussing. We’ve had the opportunity today to touch on that.
I had the opportunity in recent days to touch on that. I’m not going to go into individual capabilities. You wouldn’t expect me to do that, but the principle framework, I think, is absolutely right, and we’ll continue to have our discussions in relation to it.
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Updated at 14.36 BST
Q: [Also from Vicki Young] What is your response to human rights criticism’s of Italy’s approach?
Meloni says she does not accept that human rights have been violated.
Giorgia Meloni and Keir Starmer at their press conference. Photograph: Phil Noble/APShare
Starmer says learning from Italy’s approach to irregular migration shows revival of ‘British pragmatism’
Q: [From Vicki Young from the BBC] How interested are you in the Italian offshoring plan? And are you happy with every aspect of their approach to human rights?
Starmer says they were discussing a common challenge. He says the Albanian scheme has not started. He is particularly impressed by the “upstream work” done by the Italians, stopping people coming in the first place.
He says today has been about a return of British pragmatism. He says:
In a sense today was a return, if you like, to British pragmatism. 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, and that’s the approach that we’ve taken today. And it’s been a very productive day.
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Starmer ‘very interested’ in Italy’s plan to offshore asylum applications in Albania, Meloni says
The first question comes from an Italian journalist.
Q: How will your cooperation on immigration play out?
Meloni says her government has a plan for illegal migration. She says Italy and the UK may be able to extend the work done by law enforcement agencies. And there may be scope for making sure their legislation is “in greater harmony” in the future, she says.
The traffickers work internationally, she says. She says:
No nation by itself can be effective in dismantling these networks of traffickers.
On Albania, she says Starmer was “very interested” in the Italian plan to process asylum applications offshore in Albania.
She says the programme has not started. But it may be delayed for a few weeks, she says.
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Keir Starmer says it is “fantastic” to be here, and he praises the weather and the venue.
He has come “for a very simple reason”, he says. He recognises Italy “as a leader in Europe, on the world stage, as a G7 economy and a Nato ally”, he says.
He says he is particularly grateful to Meloni for her leadership on Ukraine. (She has been robustly anti-Russian, unlike some other European politicians leading far-right parties.)
On irregular migration, he says this is a challenge for all of Eurpoe. As DPP, he saw what could be done by cross-border cooperation. He says he has never accepted the people smuggling gangs could not be tackled in the way terrorist gangs were. He goes on:
And now, of course, Italy has shown that we can. You’ve made remarkable progress working with countries along migration routes as equals to address the drivers of migration, of source and to tackle the gangs.
Starmer says he and Meloni also discussed two new Italian investment announcements in the UK.
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Meloni says she and Starmer also discussed investment opportunities.
And she says they discussed Ukraine and the Middle East.
She says this will just be the first of a long series of meetings.
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Keir Starmer and Giorgia Meloni hold press conference
Giorgia Meloni, the Italian PM, is speaking at the opening of the press conference with Keir Starmer.
She is running through what she and Starmer discussed. They agreed to beef up efforts to tackle the gangs involved in people smuggling, she says.
These are from the i’s Chloe Chaplain.
Keir Starmer and Georgia Meloni hold a joint press conference in Rome
Meloni says she and the PM discussed issue of illegal migration and boat crossings in detail and agreed to strengthen efforts to tackle the criminal activity behind it pic.twitter.com/vpsTg7TkSe
— Chloe Chaplain (@ChaplainChloe) September 16, 2024
Meloni says government’s ‘must not shy away from new brave options’ to deal with the challenge of irregular migration and says the two had discussed the Italy Albania agreement – the offshoring agreement Starmer has suggested he is open to
— Chloe Chaplain (@ChaplainChloe) September 16, 2024
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Updated at 13.46 BST
The press conference in Rome with Keir Starmer and his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, is starting very soon, we’re told.
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At the Lib Dem conference the hall may have been very full for Daisy Cooper’s speech this morning (see 12.46pm), but one person who apparently was not there was the party leader, Ed Davey. According to PA Media, he left the conference this morning to help replace a stile in Ditchling village with a group of volunteers called the Monday Group. The organisation helps to helps maintain footpaths in Sussex.
Ed Davey with members of The Monday Group replacing a stile in Ditchling this morning. Photograph: Will Durrant/PAShareVictoria Starmer, the prime minister’s wife, attending the Edeline Lee show, at London Fashion Week this morning. Photograph: Ben Perry/REX/ShutterstockShare
Back to the Liberal Democrats, and this is from my colleague Peter Walker, who was in the hall for Daisy Cooper’s speech (see 11.55am) – along with a surprisingly large number of other people, he points out.
To give a sense of how packed this year’s Lib Dem conference is, this is the scene for deputy leader Daisy Cooper’s speech. The main arena at the Brighton Centre full, with lots of people also standing. pic.twitter.com/6VwZCsOBKS
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) September 16, 2024
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Read the full story on www.theguardian.com
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2024/sep/16/keir-starmer-giorgia-meloni-immigration-uk-politics-live