Merkel says UN migrants pact is in Germany’s interest

BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel says it’s in Germany’s interest to support a U.N. agreement on migration that countries such as the United States, Hungary and Poland have rejected.

Merkel told lawmakers Wednesday that the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration would ensure many of the conditions that already exist in Germany.

German officials hope the non-binding pact, due to be approved next month in Marrakech, Morocco, will reduce the flow of migrants to Germany by ensuring that they can expect humane conditions elsewhere, too.

Merkel used her budget speech to emphasize the importance of international co-operation, noting that Germany owes its revival after World War II in part to multilateral institutions such as the European Union and the United Nations.

The Associated Press