Sunak says UK, Italy ‘aligned’ as he meets far-right Meloni

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has declared that Britain and Italy are “very aligned” in values as he welcomed far-right Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni. The two leaders held talks in London on Thursday focused on migration, defense and the war in Ukraine. The two governments share an interest in stopping migrants reaching their countries by boat. Sunak’s administration is passing a bill through Parliament that will deny the right to asylum to anyone who arrives in the U.K. without permission. Meloni has led a crackdown on people-smugglers and on the Mediterranean rescue ships operated by charities. She told Sunak that “tackling traffickers and illegal migration is something that your government is doing very well.”