US pulls out of UN pact on migrants and refugees

This article is more than 12 months old

Dec 04, 2017 06:00 am

UNITED NATIONS President Donald Trump's administration has withdrawn the US from a United Nations pact to improve the handling of migrant and refugee situations, deeming it "inconsistent" with its policies.

The US mission to the global body announced in a statement: "Today, the US Mission to the United Nations informed the UN Secretary-General that the United States is ending its participation in the Global Compact on Migration."

In September 2016, the 193 members of the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a non-binding political declaration, the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, pledging to uphold the rights of refugees, help them resettle and ensure they have access to education and jobs.

"The New York Declaration contains numerous provisions that are inconsistent with US immigration and refugee policies and the Trump Administration's immigration principles," the US statement said.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley said the country would continue its "generosity" in supporting migrants and refugees around the world, but that "our decisions on immigration policies must always be made by Americans and Americans alone". - AFP