Downing Street has hailed Italy's "innovative" deal to send migrants to Albania for processing - just days after Sir Keir Starmer scrapped the UK's Rwanda asylum plan

Sir Keir Starmer and his Albanian counterpart Edi Rama discussed the scheme as well as security at the European Political Community (EPC) summit at Blenheim Palace today.

The pair discussed support to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression as well as an agreement to strengthen bonds.

Italy had planned to build two reception and detention camps in Albania which will host a maximum of 3,000 migrants at any one time, marking the first ever deal involving a non-EU country accepting migrants on behalf of a member nation.

Sir Keir and and Albanian PM Edi Rama

Edi Rama

Meanwhile, the UK government had planned to send certain people seeking asylum in the UK to the Republic of Rwanda, where the Rwandan government would decide their asylum claims.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister was pleased to get time to sit with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama at today’s EPC. The two leaders discussed issues of European security including migration, specifically innovative solutions such as the Italy-Albania partnership.

"They also discussed support to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression; and UK co-operation in the Western Balkans. The Prime Ministers agreed to continue to strengthen the relationship between our two countries."

Italy's government had previously stated that their Albania partnership cannot be compared to Britain's now defunct bid to send irregular asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said last year: "Migrants will be treated according to Italian and European standards. This Protocol is not comparable to the agreement between the United Kingdom and Rwanda."