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Bart de Wever, leader of the New-Flemish Alliance, has blasted the UN Migration Pact as unacceptable while Belgium’s leader Mr Michel is keen to sign it in a move that could trigger the fall of the Belgian government. Mr de Wever said: “It’s non-binding, but will that serve as an argument in court? The fact that the EU is no longer pursuing push back policies on refugees is the result of a court decision, not a political one.” As a result of the divide, judges in Belgium have suggested the “solution” is to add a further clause that would essentially reduce the implications of the UN pact for the EU member state. This has sparked further fury by Mr de Wever’s party, with members refusing to budge on their stance on the pact regardless of the talks.

This has sparked outrage by Mr Michel, who raged: “It’s not impossible to find a solution!” Belgium is not the only nation to disagree on the controversial pact which would not only make immigration a human right, but also see those who challenge it jailed for committing hate crime. The document has been boycotted by Italy, France, Poland, Israel, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Australia, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria which have all rejected the proposals in favour of tougher border controls.

Belgium is not the only nation to disagree on the controversial pact

Bart de Wever, leader of the New-Flemish Alliance, has blasted the UN Migration Pact

But the UK, Netherlands and Denmark have all said they are supportive of the pact, which was announced by MEP Marcus de Graff. President Donald Trump, who has maintained a hardline response to immigration in the US, was not a fan. EU analysts have warned a bloc wide rebuff of the pact will undermine future efforts to deal with migration crisis’ similar to the one experienced in 2015-2016, when thousands of refugees flooded into Europe from Syria and Afghanistan.

Mr Michel is keen to sign it in a move that could trigger the fall of the Belgian government

But Hanne Bierins of the Migration Policy Institute Europe think tank, criticised the UN-devised pact. Mr Bierins said: “Now we threaten to go down a road where people can pretend this unilateral approach is not only feasible but desirable. But a containment policy of managing borders will only last so long until it falters.” On Saturday, Marcus de Graff said of the pact: “It is declaring migration as a human right so it will, in effect, become impossible to criticise Mrs Merkel’s welcome migrants politics without being at risk of being jailed for hate speech.”