Security Council Lifts Ban on Brussels March Against UN Migration Pact - Source

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - The National Security Council of Belgium (NSC) cancelled the ban on the so-called March against Marrakesh protesting a UN migration pact, which is expected to take place in Brussels on 15 December, a source in the city administration told Sputnik.

"We can confirm that the NSC has removed the ban on the rally," the source said.

The "March against Marrakesh" was announced on Facebook. Some 35,000 people have shown interest in attending the rally so far, while almost 12,000 said they were going. The Catholic Flemish student movement, the Flemish Nationalistic Student Association (NSV) and the youth wing of the Flemish right-wing political party Vlaams Belang are reportedly among the groups expected to attend the march.

READ MORE: Two-Day Marrakesh Summit to Open Amid Debate Over UN Migration Pact

Earlier on 12 December, the authorities of the Brussels-Capital Region banned the demonstration organized by a number of youth right-wing groups from Belgium's Flanders region and other opponents of the UN global compact on migration, which was adopted at an international conference in Marrakesh.

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration was approved on July 13 by all UN member states except the United States, which withdrew from the pact last year. The paper represents the international community's attempt to establish a common global approach to all aspects of international migration. The paper comprises 23 objectives for better managing migration at local, national, regional and global levels.