ROME – Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese met with her UK counterpart, Home Secretary Priti Patel in the Viminale Palace to discuss illegal migration and ways to tackle criminal organisations, which deal with human trafficking, the Italian government said.

 In Thursday's meeting, both ministers agreed on the need to have a more controlled response in both the Mediterranean Sea and the Channel and more generally towards sea borders, to prevent tragedies and respect the international law of the sea.

 Minister Lamorgese said to Patel that from the Italian perspective the migration issue has taken on a ‘European dimension’ and that at this stage, the consolidation of a true European Union policy on migration and asylum is urgent, emphasising the need for an efficient common response from all European countries to stop human trafficking networks. 

 The two ministers laid foundations for increased bilateral cooperation between their respective police forces aimed at combating terrorism and all forms of crime.

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