Replace Laptop battery in NZ Friendly, Reliable Professional Distributor!

20Dec/180

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."

Tagged as: , No Comments
20Dec/180

What is the UN’s migration pact?

Negotiations leading to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration began in 2016, following the arrival of over one million people into Europe.

It's not legally binding and allows countries to remain in charge of their own immigration policy but commits signatories to improving co-operation on international migration.

The pact was agreed by all 193 members, except the United States, in July.

But at the ceremony to adopt the text on 10 December, only 164 countries formally signed it.

Among those who refused to adopt the deal - in addition to the United States - were Hungary, Austria, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Chile and Australia.

The report sets out 23 objectives for safe, orderly and regular migration.

Some of the objectives and policy recommendations aim to:

  • gather better data on international migration

  • minimise factors that compel people to leave their own country

  • provide migrants with a proof of legal identity

  • reduce vulnerabilities in migration, including "the conditions they face in countries of origin, transit and destination"

  • combat smuggling and people trafficking

The agreement emphasises that all migrants are entitled to universal human rights and aspires to eliminate all forms of discrimination, including racism, xenophobia and intolerance against migrants and their families.

The compact "reaffirms the sovereign right of states to determine their national migration policy". The European Commission says it will have no legal effect on national legal systems.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco, the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, noted that illegal migration had triggered significant fears in some countries but these fears had been "used by the opponents of the pact to spread false information".

At the same event, the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said "myths" surrounded the agreement.

Tagged as: No Comments
   

Categories

Pages

Blogroll

Store ON Line