Even though Czech diplomats were originally instructed to refrain, following pressure from Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, they are set to vote against the pact. The Czech Republic opted-out earlier in December. However, Babiš doesn’t find it sufficient to opt-out, and he wants the Foreign Ministry to withdraw from the Pact officially.
The UN migration pact was approved by representatives of 164 states in December in Marrakesh. However, a number of countries including the Czech Republic rejected the document. The opponents of the pact are also the United States, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Latvia, Bulgaria, and Austria.
According to critics, the text defines migration as a positive phenomenon which promotes uncontrolled migration. It also wipes out the difference between illegal and legal migration. Moreover, the importance of the Pact is, according to some analysts, more symbolic than practical. Most of its 23 goals are grounded in existing standards of international law.
