UK PM Starmer pledges to work with Italy on migration
Starmer lauds Italy's work to tackle immigration
Says two nations will work more closely
Visit is part of goal to improve ties with EU
Starmer defends Italy's approach amid criticism
Adds political context, Starmer comments
By Alistair Smout and Angelo Amante
ROME, Sept 16 (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed Italy's efforts to tackle illegal immigration on Monday, saying the two countries would share intelligence and work more closely together to "smash" the people smuggling gangs.
At a joint press conference, Starmer said his talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni would help develop Britain's approach to tackling the irregular arrivals of migrants in small boats.
Starmer said his approach to the issue would be pragmatic and mark a change from the previous government, whose policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda he dismissed as a "gimmick".
"I'm utterly focused on what I think is the most likely deterrent and effective way of dealing with unlawful migration, and that is to take down the gangs that are running this vile trade," he told a joint press conference.
"I am pleased that we are deepening our cooperation here... to share intelligence, share tactics, shut down the smuggling routes and smash the gangs."
Starmer's meeting with Meloni is part of a plan to improve Britain's ties with the European Union and follows trips to Berlin, Paris and Dublin since his election win in July.
Starmer said he was "very interested" in Italy's agreement with Albania to process some asylum claims offshore but would wait to see the results as the deal had yet to become operational.
Instead, he praised Meloni's work "upstream" to prevent migrants from starting their journeys, which he said had gone a long way towards Italy seeing a 60% drop in irregular arrivals by sea.
Earlier he visited the National Coordination Centre for Migration, with Britain's new head of the Border Security Command Martin Hewitt, who will be tasked with tackling people-smuggling gangs.
Meloni said the fact Britain and Italy each needed to tackle such crossings showed it was "clearly a phenomenon that affects the whole European continent".
"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," she said, adding they needed to "follow the money".
MODEST OBLIGATIONS
Meloni, who came to power two years ago at the head of a right-wing government, has taken a tough line on migration.
The fall in numbers reaching Italy follows an agreement reached last year between the European Union and Tunisia, while the processing camps in Albania for migrants are due to open in the coming weeks.
Italian opposition parties have denounced the Albania plan, and some human rights groups criticised Starmer for expressing interest in it.
"The last thing needed is yet another government pursuing schemes to avoid fulfilling the UK’s comparatively modest refugee obligations rather than showing some leadership and taking responsibility," Steve Valdez-Symonds of Amnesty International UK said.
But Starmer - who heads a centre-left government - defended his consultations with Meloni on ways to reduce irregular migration.
"In relation to migration, we have got a common challenge, and I think the more we can collaborate and cooperate with our partners on a shared challenge, the better," he told reporters shortly before leaving Rome.
"I don't think anybody will think it's sensible for us not to continue with that strong bilateral approach on... really important global issues."
Reporting by Alistair Smout and Angelo Amante in Rome, additional reporting by Kylie MacLellan and Catarina Demony in London and Crispian Balmer in Rome; Editing by Elizabeth Piper, Ros Russell and Christina Fincher
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