EU forges plan with UK and Albania to combat people smuggling

Five-point plan seeks to tackle organised crime across Europe as well as criminals operating boats

The EU has joined forces with the UK and Albania to extend the fight against people smugglers across the wider continent, following forceful interventions by Giorgia Meloni and Rishi Sunak at a summit of 47 European leaders in Spain.

The plan was forged at the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Grenada with the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the prime ministers of France, the Netherlands and Albania – Emmanuel Macron, Mark Rutte and Edi Rama – joining the Italian and UK leaders.