Starmer to explore Albania migration deal as he meets Italian PM after appointing border chief

Italy's migration deal with Albania will be on the agenda as the prime minister meets his counterpart in Rome on Monday, after appointing a former police chief to tackle people smuggling.

Sir Keir Starmer has signalled he is "interested" in the plan under which Tirana will accept asylum seekers on Italy's behalf while their claims are processed.

While he admitted it was "early days" in the rollout of the policy, he indicated he was open to pursuing a similar scheme for Britain.

Talking before the trip, the prime minister said his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni "has of course got some strong ideas and I hope to discuss those with her".

Read more:
Eight dead after attempting to cross Channel

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

"It's very, very early days."

On the visit, the prime minister will be joined by the UK's new Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt.

Mr Hewitt has been appointed to lead the government's new Border Security Command - a key election pledge made by Sir Keir to tackle illegal immigration to the UK, replacing the previous Tory government's Rwanda scheme.

The pair will tour the National Coordination Centre for Migration to see how Italy responds to irregular migration.

Mr Hewitt, the former National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) chair, will lead a new international effort to destroy criminal smuggling gangs, the government says.

He stepped down as chair of the NPCC in April 2023 after a four-year term. During the pandemic, he delivered several addresses to the nation from Downing Street as the "voice of policing".

Sir Keir said of the appointment: "No more gimmicks. This government will tackle the smuggling gangs who trade the lives of men, women and children across borders.

"Martin Hewitt's unique expertise will lead a new era of international enforcement to dismantle these networks, protect our shores and bring order to the asylum system."

Mr Hewitt said: "For too long, the criminal gangs who smuggle people through Europe have abused our borders in the name of profit, and they are responsible for the deaths of scores of vulnerable, innocent people.

"We will dismantle them, bring them to justice and prevent them from using exploitation and deceit to fill their pockets."

At least 45 people have died in Channel crossings so far this year.

More than 21,000 people crossed the English Channel in small boats between January and September this year, government figures show.