UK Home Secretary James Cleverly recently visited Lampedusa, Italy, and commended Italian efforts to curb migrant boat arrivals, stating their approach “mirrors” that of the UK. During his trip, he announced plans to integrate some of Italian strategies into UK migration policies. His visit included discussions on international collaborations to address illegal migration, a pressing issue highlighted by the arrival of over 110,000 migrants on Lampedusa in 2023.

Cleverly toured a police vessel and met representatives from organizations such as the International Organisation for Migration and the International Red Cross. His agenda in Italy also included meetings in Rome to strengthen UK-Italy cooperation on migration management. The discussions involved exchanging tactics for deterring illegal crossings and dismantling human smuggling operations, reflecting a shared strategy across both nations.

Separately, a report from the Refugee Council has criticized new immigration legislation introduced by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, predicting it will lead to a “system meltdown” and leave over 100,000 asylum seekers in limbo. The report estimates that housing these individuals could cost approximately £6.2 billion annually. The legislation prohibits asylum claims from those entering the UK without authorization and promotes the deportation of some asylum seekers to Rwanda as a deterrent. However, with ongoing Channel crossings and recent tragic incidents, the effectiveness and humanitarian impact of this policy have been questioned by international bodies including the United Nations and the Council of Europe. The Refugee Council has called for the legislation to be repealed, advocating for a fairer asylum process.