Czechs to vote against UN migration pact

Czech diplomats will vote against the Global Compact on Migration, set to take place at the General Assembly of the UN on Wednesday, foreign minister Miroslav Petříček told the Czech News Agency on Monday. According to the government’s previous statements, they were likely to abstain from the vote.

The cabinet announced earlier that it would withdraw from the pact citing ambiguities in its interpretation. Czech officials argue that the compact doesn’t draw a clear line between legal and illegal migration or state that illegal migration is undesirable.

In an interview for the daily Právo, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hasn’t yet officially announced the Czech Republic’s withdrawal from the compact. Around a dozen countries, including the US, Austria, Hungary and Poland have also refused to support it.

Author: Ruth Fraňková