Italy's Meloni hails good ties with UK’s Starmer, highlights shared goals on migration

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) – Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday expressed her alignment with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, particularly on the contentious issue of mass illegal immigration.

Despite having starkly different political ideologies, Meloni and Starmer appear to share common ground on migration governance and innovative asylum-processing strategies.

Meloni described her relationship with Starmer as "very good" in an interview with the weekly Corriere della Sera, citing their shared perspectives on addressing the challenges of migration across Europe.

She emphasized that the fight against illegal immigration is not confined to the European Union but affects the broader continent.

“We are in tune on many issues,” Meloni said. “I think, for example, about the governance of migratory flows and the fight against mass illegal immigration, because it’s a problem that affects the entire European continent, even beyond EU borders.”

Meloni pointed to Italy’s controversial agreement with Albania as an example of the type of innovative solutions that could serve as a model.

Under this protocol, asylum claims are processed in Albania, a non-EU country, but within Italian and European jurisdiction. She indicated that Starmer shared her interest in exploring similar methods.

The Italian leader outlined a series of measures that she and Starmer support, including intensified efforts to combat human trafficking, enhanced cooperation between police forces, and strengthened commitments to assisted voluntary repatriations.

“We need to be courageous in finding new solutions,” Meloni said, adding, “rethinking the current approach to ensure both efficiency and humanity.”

Meloni’s remarks also extended beyond migration policy, as she spoke about her “excellent” relationship with US business magnate Elon Musk.

She lauded Musk’s intellect and expressed amusement at his shifting public perception.

“Elon Musk is a brilliant man, and it’s always interesting to debate with him,” she said. “It makes me smile that those who once praised him as ‘a genius’ now depict him as a ‘monster’ because he chose ‘the wrong’ side of the barricade.”

Musk recently criticized Starmer’s government.