The United States Department of State said Monday that the United States will not participate in the United Nations review process for the Global Compact for Migration, sharply criticizing the agreement and broader UN migration policies.In a statement released Monday, the State Department said the United States “refused to participate in the UN’s review of the Global Compact on Migration,” arguing the agreement undermines national sovereignty and facilitates mass migration into Western countries.“The United States objects to the Global Compact on Migration and UN efforts to facilitate replacement migration to the United States and our Western allies,” the statement said.The department accused UN agencies and affiliated non-governmental organizations of helping establish migration routes into North America and Europe, including through Central America and toward the U.S. southern border.“UN agencies systematically facilitated mass migration into America and Europe, even as citizens of these nations called for restrictions on migration,” the statement said..The State Department also criticized recent UN recommendations encouraging countries to expand migration pathways and regularize migrants already living in countries illegally.“For the citizens of Western nations, mass migration was never safe,” the statement said. “It introduced new security threats, imposed financial strains, and undermined the cohesion of our societies.”The statement added that under President Donald Trump, the State Department “will facilitate remigration, not replacement migration.”The position marks a sharp contrast with Canada’s long-standing support for the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which Ottawa formally adopted in 2018 under former Liberal immigration minister Ahmed Hussen during the Trudeau government.At the time, the Canadian government described the compact as “the first global framework on all aspects of international migration” and said “effective international cooperation is essential” to address migration challenges.Canada also argued the agreement emphasized “safe, orderly and regular migration” while maintaining that countries retain sovereign control over their borders.The compact, adopted in Morocco, in 2018, established 23 non-binding objectives related to migration management and international co-operation.The migration debate has also resurfaced earlier this month following Prime Minister Mark Carney's appointment of Louise Arbour as Canada's next Governor General. Abour previously served as the United Nations Special Representative for International Migration and has publicly advocated for greater international co-operation on migration policies. Arbour has been critical about argument linking mass migration to security threats and has supported expanding legal pathways for illegal migrants and refugees rather than deportation measures.
