Having survived a revolt over his government's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda – for now – Rishi Sunak has been pencilled in to head to Italy this weekend, as a surprise guest at a political festival run by Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s hard-right Brothers of Italy party.
The appearance would cement a political relationship that has blossomed in 2023, centred around the issue of immigration. Both leaders have been under pressure to deal with the number of arrivals on their country's shores, and stopping the boats has become a central pillar of their pitch to voters. More than 145,000 people have reached Italy by sea so far this year, a sharp increase on the 88,000 the previous year. In the UK, around 28,000 people have crossed the channel in small boats, compared to 45,000 in 2022.
