Belgium will deploy soldiers on the streets of Brussels before the end of the year, Interior Minister Bernard Quintinconfirmed on Thursday, November 20, as the government intensifies efforts to curb the rise in drug-related violence that has plagued the capital and raised new concerns about the country's vulnerable status against organized crime.
Speaking to the public broadcaster RTBF, Quintin stated that the measure "is not just symbolic," insisting that visible military and police patrols—particularly at major railway stations—will "offer a concrete response to security problems and send a strong message to both citizens and criminals."
Patrols inside the stations will be doubled, while soldiers will participate in "mixed patrols" with the police, operating with limited powers until a new legal framework is completed in 2026.
The decision ends weeks of political deadlock. Defense Minister Theo Francken had insisted that soldiers should only be deployed when the new legislation provides them with powers for searches, identity checks, and arrests.
A compromise plan now provides for the faster deployment of soldiers, but limited to actions that "violate physical integrity," such as searching suspects. Accompanying police officers will continue to carry out these actions.
This change comes amid rising violence, mainly linked to drug trafficking networks, many of which draw members from migrant communities. Belgian ports and transport hubs make the country an attractive gateway for international trafficking networks, enabling criminal networks to establish a foothold.
This week, federal investigators arrested eight suspects—allegedly operating in the Albanian underworld—for a plot to assassinate the Brussels Prosecutor General, Julien Moinil.
Brussels has also recently recorded an increase in gun crime by gangs, a phenomenon that is also affecting the coastal city of Antwerp. In the country, grenade attacks and shootings have become a daily occurrence, with one investigator warning that Belgium "is turning into a narco-state." Moinil warned that "anyone... can be hit by a bullet" in Brussels.
Quintin argues that years of tolerance and fragmented policing have allowed these networks to flourish. The dominance of criminal gangs is "catastrophic," he said, adding: "We are working to address every link in the chain."
With about 80 mainly drug-related shootings this year in Brussels, the government hopes that soldiers on the streets will help restore a sense of security. Whether the measure will deter the criminal networks remains uncertain.
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