UK Home Secretary in Italy to discuss ways to tackle flow of illegal migrants

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Britain’s Home Secretary James Cleverly has said the government is doing all it can to stop dangerous small boat crossings, after news that five migrants had died in an attempt to cross the English Channel.

Cleverly is in Rome to discuss ways to accelerate joint work to stem illegal migration from North Africa.

His visit comes a day after the UK parliament passed the controversial Safety of Rwanda Bill, which will see some illegal migrants in the UK sent to the central African country.

“This vital legislation means we can now proceed with our Rwanda plan and begin removing people with no right to be here,” Cleverly said.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the first flight could leave the UK in 10-12 weeks, but human rights groups say the bill could still face similar legal challenges like it did in November when the Supreme Court said it was unlawful.

That was in line with a European Court of Human Rights ruling in 2022 that blocked flights to Rwanda from taking off.

It’s also been slammed by the United Nations, with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it hinders the rule of law.

“It is critical to the protection of the human rights and dignity of refugees and migrants seeking protection that all removals from the UK are carried out after assessing their specific individual circumstances in strict compliance with international human rights and refugee law,” said spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.

Meanwhile, James Cleverly is due to meet his Italian counterpart Matteo Piantedosi in Lampedusa later on Wednesday to discuss ways the UK and Italy can work together to crack down on irregular migration.

This comes after Italy announced last year it would open third country migrant processing centres in Albania, plans the government in Tirana approved in February.