Czech citizens want no illegal immigrants

The Czech government came under heavy criticism again over the EU migration pact during parliament's extraordinary session.

The Czech opposition has again sharply criticised the government for supporting the reform of the EU's migration system. The new migration and asylum pact would introduce a mandatory solidarity mechanism for EU member states, among other measures. At Wednesday's extraordinary session of the Czech parliament's lower house, convened at the initiative of the opposition, former Prime Minister Andrej Babis, president of ANO, described the support of Interior Minister Vit Rakusan for the reform package in Brussels as a betrayal and the damaging of the interests of the Czech people. According to Vit Rakusan, however, the deal reached in Brussels is a good one, fully serving the interests of the Czech Republic.

Personally, I would qualify this as a total betrayal, a further damage to the interests of the Czech population. It's incomprehensible to me, because it is also contrary to the government's programme. It is essentially sending an invitation for more illegal migrants to come to Europe,

Mr Babis told journalists before the start of the session.

In her speech, Alena Schillerova, ANO parliamentary group leader, called on the government to disclose in exact detail what mandate Vit Rakusan had for the negotiations in Brussels, what he voted for and what exemptions he secured for the Czech Republic.

I'll try to describe the opposition's behaviour accurately. During the campaign, Andrej Babis frightened voters with migrants, and it played out for him. Now, in a populist way, he has just dusted off this tool,

the interior minister said in response to criticism. The agreement reached in Brussels on the overhaul of the migration and asylum package is "a clear success for the Czech Republic and European policy and a solid basis for Europe to successfully tackle migration", Vit Rakusan said, adding that the governing coalition welcomed the parliamentary debate on the issue.

The Czech Republic has always opposed the distribution of migrants according to quotas, with migration being a non-partisan issue. Last week's agreement respects this. It does not call into question the principle of solidarity that underpins the EU, as it is up to each member state to decide how it wants to contribute to a pan-European solution to the consequences of migration,

Vit Rakusan said, explaining te government's position.

Tomio Okamura, leader of the opposition Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) movement, described Rakusan's vote in Brussels as "treason" and called on the interior minister and the whole government to resign. "Brussels and European states must stop supporting immigration," the opposition politician said. The Czech government, following the example of Hungary and Poland, should refuse to support the migration reform pact proposed by Brussels, which threatens the security of the Czech Republic and Europe, ANO and SPD lawmakers reiterated in their address to the extraordinary session of the parliament's lower house in Prague.

After more than four hours of debate, the lower house did not approve the opposition's proposals to reject the EU's migration reform pact. However, the lawmakers adopted the draft resolution proposed by the governing coalition that states that the agreement on migration reached by EU interior ministers "is in line with the long-term interests of the Czech Republic, is based on financial solidarity among member states and does not include the mandatory distribution of refugees".

Cover photo: Immigrants at a railway station in Denmark (Photo: AFP/Claus Fisker)