Germany's Maas criticizes countries opposed to UN migration pact

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has criticized the countries that have voiced opposition to a controversial UN migration pact that is set to be endorsed at a high-level conference in Marrakech next week.

The non-binding agreement provides guidelines to regulate migration and to protect the rights of migrants. The United States and Australia are among the countries who oppose the non-binding pact, worrying that it could become a de-facto legal standard over time.

Disagreement over the migration compact has also shaken European governments. Last week, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak tendered his resignation after his country rejected the accord.

Hungary, Austria, Italy, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Switzerland have all publicly rejected the agreement.

Speaking to news magazine Spiegel, Maas said each country's decision to oppose the pact is "grist to the mill for those pushing malicious disinformation campaigns against [it]."

He added that the pact "offers - for the first time - an international framwork for controlling, organizing and regulating migration."

The German government's attempt to promote the pact domestically have also faced headwinds, with Maas facing accusations that the government was too late to inform lawmakers about the agreement, thus delivering a boost to the campaign against it.