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Swiss parliament rejects UN migration pact

Parliament says no to UN Migration Pact
Parliament says no to UN Migration Pact Keystone-SDA

Switzerland should not ratify the UN Global Compact on Migration, according to parliament.

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Following in the footsteps of the Senate, the House of Representatives rejected the text on Thursday by 121 votes to 65, despite the fact that it is not binding on the Confederation’s migration policy.

+ Immigration pressures force strategic re-think in Switzerland

The Pact, adopted by the UN in December 2018, is a comprehensive framework for action to improve international cooperation in the field of migration.

“Although not legally binding, the Pact contains political commitments in several areas,” said committee rapporteur Christian Wasserfallen. It gives the same rights to all migrants, whether regular or irregular. “In practice, however, this is not the case.

The left and the Federal Council supported ratification. Migration is a fact and cannot be prevented,” said parliamentarian Samira Marti. The pact aims to manage it better. In vain.

The Senate voted against ratification by 26 votes to 7, with 11 abstentions.

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Translated from French by DeepL/mga

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