Italian policies costly and ineffective, says charity
Keir Starmer should drop the pursuit of Italy’s “costly and ultimately ineffective” migration deterrence policies if the UK is to put an end to deaths in the Channel, a global charity led by David Miliband has warned.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC), where the ex-Labour foreign secretary is president and CEO, said the UK government should instead give refugees access to safe routes so they are no longer forced to make dangerous crossings.
The intervention comes hours after Starmer praised the hardright Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, for making “remarkable progress” in cutting irregular migration across the Mediterranean.
“You’ve made remarkable progress working with countries along migration routes as equals to address the drivers of migration at source and to tackle the gangs,” Starmer said at a joint press conference.
Meloni said Starmer had shown “great interest” in Italy’s deal to process 3,000 asylum claimants in Albania, and brushed aside claims that Italy’s policies breach international human rights laws.
Khusbu Patel, the acting executive director of the IRC UK, said that Starmer should instead open safe routes. “Today’s discussions in Italy take place after a weekend that saw at least eight lives lost in the Channel, just days after the deadliest crossing this year.
“These tragic incidents serve as a reminder that instead of prioritising costly and ultimately ineffective deterrence policies, the new government should focus on solutions that work, such as scaling up safe routes and investing in our asylum system,” she said.
The statement from the IRC follows condemnation of the Starmer government’s praise for Meloni’s policies from the Refugee Council, Amnesty and the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants.
Italy reached an agreement with Albania in November to host two centres where people would be housed while their asylum claims are processed.
Meloni’s government has also signed a deal with Tunisia, granting it aid in exchange for greater efforts to stop Italy-bound refugees who leave the north African country to cross the Mediterranean. A deal has also been renewed with Libya to provide training and funding to the coastguard.
Human rights groups have said the deals have resulted in the widespread abuse and detention of thousands of refugees in Libya and Tunisia.
The Home Office was approached for comment.