Italy walks out on UN migration meeting saying national borders are no business of the UN
ITALY’S leaders are BOYCOTTING a controversial United Nations meeting set to make CRITICISING MIGRATION a criminal offence.
By ALICE SCARSI
Express.co.uk
Sat, Dec 1, 2018
The UN Global Compact for Migration which takes place next week aims to set out universal rights and conditions for migrants. But one Member of the European Parliament has pointed out that if the paper is adopted as it stands then even criticising the idea of migration would be a crime. Italy has taken a tough line on the appear and is refusing to attend.
Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte said decisions over migration were a matter for national governments.
He said: “Italy reserves the right to adhere to this document or not only after the parliament has decided.”
In a statement on behalf of the Italian government he said: “The migration pact is a document that deals with issues and questions our citizens are concerned by.
“For this reason, we think it advisable to task parliament with a debate and the final choice once talks have concluded.”
Mr Conte’s announcement came minutes after anti-immigration interior minister Matteo Salvini had spoken against going to the UN meeting.
Mr Salvini said: “The Italian government won’t go to Marrakech, it won’t sign anything, parliament will.”
The intervention of the right-wing Lega leader sparked the outrage of PD, Italy’s main opposition party, which accused Mr Salvini of walking away from a decision that had been already taken.
Mr Conte had previously spoken in favour of the UN pact and seemed keen to follow through his predecessor Paolo Gentiloni’s promise to sign it.
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