Rishi Sunak and Giorgia Meloni: 'We are two of the closest friends in Europe today'

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her British counterpart, Rishi Sunak, jointly issued a call to address undocumented migration, and asked other European nations to match the sense of urgency purportedly demonstrated by London and Rome tackling what they describe as a "moral and humanitarian crisis."

In a joint op-ed published in The Times, these leaders, who represent Brothers of Italy and the UK's Conservative Party respectively, affirmed their collaborative efforts to prevent the entry of thousands of migrants into Europe through Italy and their onward journey to the UK.

'We are two of the closest friends in Europe today'

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Sunak and Meloni expressed their pride in the shared leadership of Italy and the UK, highlighting the alignment of their perspectives and goals across various areas, positioning both nations as close allies in Europe.

"We are proud that Italy and the UK are leading on this together, because in this, and many other areas, our perspectives and our goals are the same. In fact, we are two of the closest friends in Europe today," the two leaders wrote in The Times.

Also watch |UK PM Rishi Sunak and Italy PM Giorgia Meloni call for tougher EU action on migration

Sunak and Meloni characterised migration as a "moral," "humanitarian," and "European crisis" which they said has already claimed the lives of over 2,000 individuals this year alone. The two leaders stressed the immediate need for action and underscored their commitment to seeking comprehensive, enduring solutions to address the world's most pressing global challenges.

This op-ed follows the European Political Community summit in Granada, Spain, held on Thursday, where discussions, or the lack thereof, concerning migration led to tensions between Madrid, London and Rome.

Failing to persuade Spain to prioritise migration on the main agenda, Sunak organised a meeting on the summit's sidelines with Italy, the Netherlands, France, Albania, and the European Commission, resulting in the agreement on an "eight-point plan" aimed at addressing the migration issue.

"Together, the UK and Italy are seeking serious, long-term solutions to the greatest global challenges we face. That’s why we will be putting the focus on illegal migration at today’s summit, and why we’re determined to do whatever it takes to stop the criminal gangs, to end this moral and humanitarian crisis once and for all and to restore legality in migration," they wrote.

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