European agreement to curb immigration »

Baghdad-INA
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak praised Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s approach to combating irregular migration during a visit to Rome during which they agreed to co-finance a project to help migrants in Tunisia return to their homelands.

The two prime ministers held official talks in Meloni’s office, and the British Conservative Party leader also spoke at a gathering of her far-right Brotherhood of Italy party.
The two leaders pledged to stop the flow of migrant boats onto the shores of their countries.
Both have faced intense criticism for their policies, from Sunak’s plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, to Meloni’s efforts to limit the activities of charity rescue ships in the Mediterranean.
During their meeting, Sunak and Meloni agreed to fund a project to help repatriate migrants in Tunisia, the country of departure for many migrants trying to reach Europe.
The British Prime Minister said that they “committed to participating in financing a project to promote and assist the voluntary return of migrants from Tunisia to their countries of origin.”
Meloni’s office said this was in line with existing UN projects, without providing further details.
Sunak compared his Italian counterpart to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, saying some of the Iron Lady’s “radicalism” was needed to tackle irregular migration.
“If we do not address this problem, the numbers will increase. Our countries and our ability to help those who truly need our help will deteriorate,” he added.
The two sides agreed at their meeting to intensify efforts to combat human smugglers, but Sunak said that deterring those wishing to migrate irregularly was also essential.
The British Prime Minister referred to the agreement concluded with Albania a year ago, which allows the deportation of Albanians who arrive in the United Kingdom on small boats.
Rishi Sunak confirmed that since the conclusion of the agreement, the number of Albanians arriving in his country has decreased by 90%.
Last month, Georgia Meloni also concluded an agreement under which Albania will build two centers to house asylum seekers intercepted by the Italian Coast Guard at sea.
The agreement sparked criticism in both countries, and the Albanian Constitutional Court temporarily prevented lawmakers from ratifying it.