ROME, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised Italy's immigration policies under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a meeting in Rome on Monday.

The two leaders held a closed-door session before addressing the media, discussing immigration, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, energy policy, economic growth, and post-Brexit relations between the UK and the European Union.

Unlike typical meetings held at Palazzo Chigi, the seat of Italy's government, Monday's talks took place at the scenic Villa Doria Pamphili.

Starmer, who took office as Labour Party leader on July 5, was returning from Washington, where he met with U.S. President Joe Biden. Ukraine was the primary topic in Washington, but Starmer reportedly failed to persuade Biden to increase military and economic aid to Ukraine.

Immigration was central to discussions in Rome, a hot-button issue in both the UK and Italy. Meloni, elected in 2022 on a platform to curb refugee arrivals, has overseen a significant reduction in refugee numbers. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), around 44,000 refugees have landed in Italy so far this year, compared to 125,000 during the same period in 2023.

This drop is largely due to Italy's efforts to limit departures from Tunisia and Libya, restrict NGO rescue operations, and crack down on human traffickers. Additionally, Italy has signed a deal with Albania to process up to 36,000 asylum seekers per year outside of the EU.

In contrast, the UK has seen around 22,000 irregular migrants arriving from France so far this year, a slight increase from 2023. Over 800 migrants crossed into the UK on Saturday alone, with at least eight dying in the attempt.

Starmer commended Italy's success in reducing migrant arrivals, saying that prevention is key to tackling the issue.

Meloni emphasized Italy's focus on addressing the root causes of migration, highlighting measures like voluntary repatriation programs.

Starmer also expressed interest in Italy's approach of outsourcing asylum processing to Albania, drawing parallels to the UK's now-abandoned Rwanda plan. Upon taking office, Starmer scrapped the UK's controversial plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing.

Starmer's early tenure has been marked by domestic challenges, including widespread riots following the stabbing of three girls at a concert by a British-born citizen of African migrant descent. Enditem

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