Germany Welcomes UN Vote To Affirm Global Migration Pact - Foreign Minister

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Tuesday applauded the vote by the UN General Assembly to affirm a global pact on migration, adopted in Morocco, as a "memorable act.

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th December, 2018) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Tuesday applauded the vote by the UN General Assembly to affirm a global pact on migration, adopted in Morocco, as a "memorable act."

"Germany is already doing its part to help refugees as an important aid donor and host country. But only few countries are willing to engage and take responsibility for refugees. The Global Compact on Refugees will change that," Maas said in a statement by the Foreign Ministry.

The non-legally binding deal was backed Monday by 181 UN nations.

The United States and Hungary opposed it, while the Dominican Republic, Eritrea and Libya abstained.

Maas said the pact would create a political framework for strengthening the international response to migration worldwide as well as preconditions for their repatriations "in a safe and dignified" manner.

The United Nations estimates that 244 million people were on the move in 2017, living in the countries other than where they were born. The number of refugees stood at over 25 million, with ten countries hosting 60 percent of them.