Portugal approves plan to implement Global Compact for Migration

The Portuguese government on Thursday approved a national plan for the implementation of the Global Compact for Migration, the first-ever inter-governmentally negotiated agreement under the auspices of the United Nations.

Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva said in a statement that "it was very important that Portugal was one of the first countries to approve its National Plan to implement the migration compact."

The government considered this to be "a unique opportunity to systematize Portuguese migration policy" in the various governmental areas it involves, said the minister.

The non-legally binding UN Global Compact for Migration is grounded in values of state sovereignty, responsibility-sharing, non-discrimination, and human rights.

It recognizes that a cooperative approach is needed to optimize the overall benefits of migration, while addressing its risks and challenges for individuals and communities in countries of origin, transit and destination, according to the UN refugees and migrants.

The Portuguese national plan has five dimensions, including the organization of regular migration flows especially for labor reasons, the organization of migratory flows and border management, and the development cooperation as the countries of origin and transit of migration, according to the statement.