Italy has cut illegal migration by 60%: How have they done it?

ITV News' Europe Editor James Mates has the latest from Rome on Keir Starmer's visit to Italy

On his visit to Rome to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one issue was high on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's agenda - immigration.

Starmer has long vowed to "smash the gangs" which illegally help asylum seekers to cross the English Channel in small boats.

His visit comes after at least eight migrants died off of the coast of France over the weekend.

According to the latest Home Office figures, the number of those who had crossed the English Channel by small boats in 2024, so far had reached over 19,000 as of August 19.

During Starmer's trip to Italy, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the government was interested in their measures used to tackle illegal immigration - which has led to a 60% drop in arrivals by sea.

Speaking after his meeting with Meloni, Starmer said: "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."

Meloni herself said Starmer has "great interest" in the methods Italy have used to cut illegal immigration.

Here ITV News looks at how Italy has done it.

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Organised crime

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said Meloni's government's approach to tackling organised immigration crime is something Starmer is looking at.

"That’s the work that we are substantially gearing up," she said.

"We will be doing a huge technology upgrade as well, and where we want to work with Italy, with Germany, with other European countries, with France as well."

Collaboration with countries "upstream"

Since becoming prime minister in 2022, Meloni has signed deals with individual African countries to try to block departures of immigrants.

Referencing Italy's work with Tunisia, Yvette Cooper said: "We think we should be part of those international co-operations as well."

Asked about the scheme in Rome, Starmer credited Italy's success with driving down illegal migration to this so-called "upstream work".

“I’ve long believed, by the way, that prevention and stopping people traveling in the first place is one of the best ways to deal with this particular issue," he said.

Returns

The third part of Italy's immigration policy is their approach to returning asylum seekers who have claims denied to their countries of origin.

"They’re speeding up returns for those who don’t have a right to be there," Cooper said.

"We’ve been doing that through the summer as well, so we’ve had a substantial increase in returns for people who don’t have a right to be in the UK, because the rules need to be respected and enforced."

The Albania programme

A further part of Italy's immigration policy highlighted by the home secretary is a deal made with Albania.

Meloni's government has a third-country processing agreement with the Balkan nation.

Rather than being taken to Italy, the scheme will see some adult male migrants rescued at sea while trying to reach Italy taken instead to Albania while their asylum claims are processed.

The deal has been compared to the Conservatives' doomed Rwanda plan - but Yvette Cooper has insisted the two are not the same.

She said: “It’s very, very different. So the arrangement that they have in place – and look, it’s not working yet, so we don’t know how it will play out – but it is a very, very different approach.

“This is Italian processing taking place in Albania. It has UNHCR oversight, so it is being monitored to make sure that it meets international standards."

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