British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to usher in "a new era" of cross-border cooperation to combat people-smuggling networks, ahead of his upcoming talks

with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. This is part of Starmer's broader initiative to reset the UK's relations with Europe following his election victory in July.

Renewing diplomatic ties with European leaders has been a key focus for Starmer, who has already visited Berlin, Paris, and Dublin in recent weeks. His upcoming visit to Rome marks another important step in rebuilding relationships that were strained in recent years.

Heading into discussions with Meloni, Starmer is expected to emphasize the importance of addressing illegal migration and collaborating with European nations to dismantle the criminal networks driving human smuggling. Meloni had close ties with Starmer’s predecessor, Rishi Sunak, and illegal migration remains a major issue for both nations.

Starmer has already abandoned the previous government’s controversial plan to send asylum seekers arriving via small boats to Rwanda. However, he has left the door open for offshore asylum processing arrangements, similar to Italy’s deal with Albania.

Ahead of the Rome talks, Starmer announced that Martin Hewitt, the former head of the UK’s National Police Chiefs' Council, would lead a new Border Security Command. This agency would spearhead joint investigations with other nations to crack down on people-smuggling gangs.

"This government will take real action against the smuggling gangs that trade in human lives across borders," Starmer said, promising "a new era of international enforcement to dismantle these networks, protect our borders, and restore order to the asylum system."

On Sunday, French authorities reported that eight individuals had died trying to cross the English Channel, raising the death toll from such crossings this year to 46.

The Labour government has committed to ramping up deportation flights and redirecting funds from the abandoned Rwanda scheme to support law enforcement efforts in preventing illegal crossings.

During his visit to Italy, Starmer will also tour the National Coordination Centre for Migration to learn about Italy’s methods for handling migration, which have led to a 60% reduction in irregular sea arrivals. Additionally, defense issues may come up during his discussions with Meloni, including the UK’s participation in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a joint fighter jet project with Italy and Japan.

Starmer recently reaffirmed the importance of the GCAP program but stopped short of guaranteeing the UK’s continued involvement. Photo by Anton Nikiforov, Wikimedia commons.