S&Ds continue to fight for the UN migration and refugee compacts
Date
21 Nov 2018
Sections
Justice & Home Affairs
The Polish government has announced that it will withdraw from the UN migration and refugee compacts. It becomes the fifth European member state to do so after Hungary, Bulgaria, Austria and Croatia. Following the announcement, S&D Group president Udo Bullmann said:
"The withdrawal of one state after another from the UN migration and refugee compacts is the sad result of a bold campaign by populists and nationalists, based on lies and hatred. Anyone capable of reading can see that the UN rules do not affect national sovereignty on migration policy, but merely provide nations with non-binding standards for a better regulation of migration. The fact that many conservative politicians, for instance in Germany, are imitating right-wing populists by demonising the compact is shameful and worrying. We Socialists and Democrats continue to fight for the migration compact and against right-wing hate campaigns."
"The UN global migration and refugee compacts are the driving force for multilateralism and global decision-making as opposed to narrow-minded short term nationalistic stances. It aims to guide migration in a safe and orderly manner, reduce the impact of irregular migration and ensure the dignity and protection of all migrants. This goal naturally requires common international approaches; separate national approaches would run into a dead end. We need to understand how causes and effects are interconnected worldwide. This pact is an attempt to do so and it is worrying that countries at the heart of the EU are beginning to turn their backs on responsible international decision-making."