Replace Laptop battery in NZ Friendly, Reliable Professional Distributor!

What do opponents dislike about the pact(UN’s migration pact)?

The UN document is a statement of intent and aimed at framing migration as an economic issue, says Susi Dennison, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

It was designed "to de-politicise migration again but the pact has done the opposite", she says.

The US, in December 2017, was the first country to pull out.

A statement at the time said the agreement was incompatible with US sovereignty and "our decisions on immigration policies must always be made by Americans and Americans alone".

Hungary followed in July 2018 - and, at the time, the foreign minister said: "This pact poses a threat to the world from the aspect that it could inspire millions [of migrants]."

Criticism in Europe rose as the date for the signing of the agreement approached.

Former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon and far-right leader Marine Le Pen attended an event together in Belgium to oppose the pact.

"The country that signs the pact, obviously signs a pact with the devil," said Ms Le Pen.

Polish Interior Minister Joachim Brudziński has said the pact "could also be an incentive for illegal migration".

Germany backed the agreement but faced stern opposition. Alice Weidel, leader in the German parliament of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), said: "In effect, illegal migration is being legalised."

A key reason why this pact has been the focus of so much debate is because immigration is a huge topic in Europe, says Ms Dennison. And it will continue to be in the run up to European Parliament elections in 2019.

"Opposition to the pact underlines that migration is the number one political issue in Europe. It really is the dividing issue for electorates."