Miroslav Lajčák (source: SME)
Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák resigned from his post on the evening of November 29.
His actions followed the decision of parliament earlier that day to reject the UN's Global Compact for Migration.
Further details will be disclosed following Lajčák’s meeting with Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer) and President Andrej Kiska.
No to the migration compact
Parliament adopted the resolution to refuse the compact with 90 votes.
The version of the resolution, authored by the Smer party, does not directly say that a Slovak representative will not travel to Marrakesh, Morocco, where the migration compact will be discussed on December 10 and 11. However, the Slovak National Party (SNS) insists on its earlier claims that no Slovak representative should attend the discussion, the Sme daily reported.
The resolution also stipulates that the government should take steps to withdraw Slovakia from the process of accepting the document.
Slovak sovereignty stressed
It also claims that the global compact is not in accordance with the current security and migration policy of Slovakia and emphasised Slovak sovereignty over the issue of migration policy.
“Slovakia is fully sovereign in defining its own national migration policy,” reads the resolution, as quoted by TASR.
Economically motivated illegal migration is a negative phenomenon that brings security threats in a national, regional and global context, the document stated. Slovakia supports the solution of migration causations in the country of origin, according to the resolution.
“No document can limit Slovakia in its sovereign authority of legislative decision-making regarding who is a legal and illegal migrant and who should be granted a right to stay in its area,” the resolution continues, as quoted by TASR.
HRL: Only conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theories and half-truths took over the discussion in parliament, the non-governmental organisation Human Rights League (HRL) commented on the resolution. The HRL reminded that Slovakia has been part of the discussion for 18 months which should have provided enough time to get involved and communicate attitudes.
“If we step down from the process of accepting the global framework, we will deprive ourselves of the possibility to be part of the solution,” the HRL stated in a press release, adding that the compact is in accordance with the Migration Policy of Slovakia until 2020, which was approved by the government and is a binding document.
The HRL appealed to the government to accept the decision based on facts and in accordance with the country’s interest.
