By The Anti-Racism Committee, Greater Manchester Tenants Union

Re: Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Immigration Policy Initiative, Known as ‘The Rome Process’

 

17th September 2024

 

On Monday, 16th September, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a significant escalation in his government’s cooperation with Italy on immigration policy, with a particular focus on managing "irregular migration" across the Mediterranean. Starmer praised Italy’s so-called “progress” in reducing migration by 60%, lauding the strengthening ties between the UK and a government that stands in direct opposition to Labour’s own founding principles. His talks with Giorgia Meloni—Italy’s far-right Prime Minister, whose Brothers of Italy party has fascist leanings—signal that Starmer’s administration is prepared to endorse the policies of a government actively engaging in exclusionary, nationalist, and racially charged practices that echo fascist tactics.

 

This initiative has been named ‘The Rome Process’.

 

Our Position on Starmer’s Stance on Immigration and ‘The Rome Process’

 

As housing campaigners dedicated to anti-racism and equitable resource distribution, we are deeply appalled by this dangerous shift in policy. Starmer’s decision to align Labour with a government that actively implements fascist-like policies is more than a contradiction—it is a profound betrayal of the Labour party’s foundational values. The Meloni government is not just ideologically extreme; it enforces policies that target migrants, undermine women’s rights, attack the LGBTQ+ community, fuel racial division, and entrench nationalist politics at the expense of basic human rights. Instead of tackling the real systemic issues—decades of privatisation, austerity, and market deregulation that have decimated public services—Starmer has opted to scapegoat migrants, echoing the rhetoric of governments that capitalise on fear and division. The housing crisis and pressure on the NHS are not the result of immigration but of decades of neglect, financialisation, and attack on public services.

 

Manchester’s Proud History and Manchester City Council’s Responsibility

 

Manchester has long been a beacon of solidarity and resistance. From our City’s leadership in the anti-apartheid movement to our defiance of the Conservative government’s decades-long hostile environment, we have stood up for justice and the protection of vulnerable communities.

 

It’s worth remembering the Anti-Deportation Unit, established in 1984 in Manchester Town Hall, which offered crucial support to those facing deportation. Sadly, this unit no longer exists, but its presence in our city’s history reflects the commitment we once had to protecting the rights of migrants.

 

This concerning shift is all the more alarming as we approach significant anniversaries: the 60th anniversaries of Article 2 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) and the 1965 Race Relations Act, and the 15th anniversary of the 2010 Equality Act. These laws, supported and enacted by Labour governments, were founded on principles of protection, equality, and opposing systemic discrimination. The current policies, however, undermine these principles by misdirecting blame and failing to address real issues of inequality.

 

Yet, Manchester City Council (MCC) has a crucial role in leading on these issues. By stepping beyond the national government’s anti-immigration rhetoric and addressing the root causes of inequality and strain on public services, MCC can reinforce the City’s proud tradition.

 

Our Call to Action - Reclaim Manchester as a City of Sanctuary

 

We must reclaim Manchester’s identity as a City of Sanctuary and reject the damaging, false narrative that migration is to blame for our current crises. We must also challenge the framing of harsh immigration measures as ‘a fight against human trafficking’.
The government must be held accountable for its dangerous alignment with far-right, anti-immigrant governments like Meloni’s. Rather than following their lead, this Labour government and its associated councils must return to their founding purpose of standing up for the marginalised and defending workers and the vulnerable. Manchester deserves a council chamber that remains true to the City’s principles, not one that compromises them by collaborating with a government whose actions today reflect the divisiveness and exclusionary practices of fascism on our doorstep. Starmer’s embrace of Meloni’s approach reveals a troubling willingness to blur the lines between substantial politics and the far right, and this must be challenged. We must also challenge the framing of harsh immigration measures as ‘a fight against human trafficking’.

 

We call on Manchester City Council and those addressed above, as a whole, to reject this turn towards the far right and to champion policies that support the many, not the few. Now, more than ever, we need MCC and our government to uphold the values of justice, equality, and solidarity, rather than scapegoating the vulnerable for political gain. This is the moment to organise, resist, and fight for a future built on justice and humanity. We urge all housing campaigners, unions, and allies to speak out against these regressive policies and hold our leaders accountable. Together, we can prevent this dangerous drift to the right and reclaim our City as a place of fairness and compassion.