Home Secretary opens door to Albanian-style asylum deal

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Offshore

Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, has hinted at the possibility of striking an Albania-style deal with another country to process UK asylum claims offshore. This comes in the wake of Italy’s plan to send migrants to Albania for processing, a scheme that allows successful claimants to come to the UK, unlike the Tories’ Rwanda scheme, which involved deporting migrants to claim asylum in Africa.

When asked if the government was considering a similar scheme, Ms Cooper stated, “We have always said we will look at anything that works. Clearly things have to be workable, financially viable, and meet international standards.” However, she also mentioned that there are alternative ways to develop a new fast-track system for processing claims and returning rejected asylum seekers to safe countries swiftly, without the need for a processing deal with another country.

Ms Cooper’s comments came as Sir Keir Starmer prepared to meet with Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, to discuss Italy’s successful reduction of migrant crossings by around 60% in a year. She highlighted three tactics that Italy used to achieve this: the Mattei plan, work against organized immigration crime, and effective returns for those who don’t have a right to be in Italy.

Despite the possibility of an Albania-style deal, Ms Cooper emphasized the importance of developing a new fast-track system to swiftly decide on cases and facilitate prompt returns. This comes at a time when eight migrants tragically died while trying to cross the Channel, bringing the total number of deaths this year to 45, compared to 12 last year. Among the survivors was a 10-month-old baby who was hospitalized for hypothermia.

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In conclusion, the UK government is exploring various options to manage asylum claims and migrant crossings effectively, learning from successful strategies implemented by other countries like Italy. The focus remains on developing efficient and fair processes to handle asylum applications while ensuring the safety and well-being of migrants. Only 10 out of the 60 migrants on board a smuggling boat had life jackets, raising concerns about the increasing risks faced by those attempting to cross the Channel. Victoria Cooper, a spokesperson for a humanitarian organization, expressed her worries about the growing number of people being crammed onto these boats by smuggling gangs, as well as the escalating violence used to prevent authorities from stopping them.

Cooper highlighted the desperate situation faced by migrants who are forced to pay exorbitant amounts of money to these criminal organizations, only to be deceived with fake, flimsy life jackets that offer little to no protection in case of an emergency. Tragically, women and children have been crushed or drowned due to the overcrowding on these vessels, further emphasizing the dangers of this illicit trade in human lives.

In response to these challenges, Martin Hewitt, a former Scotland Yard chief, has been appointed to lead a new border security command aimed at targeting the criminal networks behind these dangerous Channel crossings. This initiative will involve collaboration between various law enforcement agencies, including the National Crime Agency, MI5, Border Force, and the Crown Prosecution Service, with the goal of treating people smugglers as terrorists and cracking down on their illegal activities.

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The appointment of Hewitt signals a more robust and coordinated effort to combat the exploitation of vulnerable migrants by these ruthless smuggling gangs. By enhancing intelligence gathering, enforcement measures, and prosecution strategies, authorities hope to dismantle these criminal networks and prevent further loss of life in the treacherous waters of the Channel.

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