PM is open to offshoring asylum seekers to Albania

The prime minister told journalists travelling with him to Washington DC before he flew to Rome that he would see how Italy’s deal with Albania worked in terms of offshoring processing of asylum claims.

- DAVID MADDOX

Within days of taking power in July, Sir Keir cancelled the UK’s controversial deal with Rwanda, which had been set up by the previous Tory government at a cost of £700m to the taxpayer. But he now appears open to similar schemes in a European country.

This follows German chancellor Olaf Scholz’s decision to take up the facilities in Rwanda that the UK paid for to deal with asylum seekers to his country. Asked specifically about Italy’s Albania scheme, Sir Keir replied: “Let’s see. It’s early days. I’m interested in how that works, I think everybody else is. It’s very, very early days.”

The Italian plan has been criticised by many and involves opening camps for asylum seekers which will hold up to 3,000 people. Ms Meloni’s government has dramatically reduced the number of people coming across the Mediterranean to Italy from north Africa.