According to a report in Friday’s Telegraph, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is negotiating an agreement with Italy to reduce the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean and return them to North Africa.
According to the article, Simon Case, Sunak’s Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, spent two days in Italy in the middle of June meeting with high-ranking Italian government officials to negotiate a deal. A government source familiar with the situation confirmed to Reuters that Case was in Italy.
A government official was quoted by the Telegraph as saying, “If we’re going to be successful in tackling illegal migration, we’ve got to deal with the issue at source in addition to focusing on small boats.”
When contacted by Reuters, neither Sunak’s office nor the Italian government had a reaction immediately.
In April, the United Kingdom and Italy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate on reducing irregular migration under the “Strategic Migration Partnership.”
According to official data, a record 45,000 persons crossed the Channel to enter Britain by tiny boats last year, most of them arriving from France. According to official data, over 11,000 people have entered the country so far this year.
One of Conservative Party leader Sunak’s top five goals is to halt boat arrivals. Many people, including those in his own party, feel he is not doing enough to stop illegal immigration.
