PA Media/dpa
London
The British government is working “very closely” with Italian ministers to consider ways to process migrants with asylum claims in a third country.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he will “look at anything that works” as the government hosted a summit joined by representatives from 40 countries to tackle people smuggling on Monday.
The prrime minister told reporters that ministers are working “very closely” with Italian counterparts after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told the event the nation’s deal with Albania to process claims offshore had “gained increasing consensus”.
Italy’s government approved a decree that expands the use of Albanian fast-track asylum processing centres to include repatriation hubs.
Meloni told the summit in a pre-recorded video: “We also agree with Keir that we should not be afraid to imagine and build innovative solutions, like the one that Italy launched with Albania.
“A model that was criticised at first, but that then has gained increasing consensus, so much so that today, European Union is proposing to set up return hubs in third countries.
“This means that we were right and that the courage to lead the way has been rewarded.”
Asked about what the UK was considering, Starmer told reporters anything that will be looked at has got to be “consistent with international law” and “cost effective”.
“But we are working with other countries on anything that we think will work,” he said.
