Abstract
Most of the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEE) rejected the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM). Using the case of Visegrad counties (Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czechia), the paper examines dynamics and causes leading to the rejection of GCM and puts them into perspective of the long-term position on migration issues in these countries.
It describes how anti-migration and populist discourse of national politics can affect global cooperation, no matter how relevant the issue is on the ground. It also presents the work of civil society and other actors to support the Compact.
The paper then summarizes the main arguments against the GCM and stresses that the opposition to GCM had little to do with rational arguments; instead, it was used as a mean to support populist and largely anti-immigrant governments in the analyzed countries. Finally, the paper discusses expected developments in CEE countries in terms of their position on migration.