Belgium’s Defense Minister, Theo Francken, has indicated that troops may be deployed to patrol Brussels alongside police officers in response to rising gang violence in the capital. The city has experienced approximately 60 shootings this year, resulting in two fatalities, according to local media reports. This surge in violent crime has prompted authorities to consider extraordinary measures to restore order.
The situation in Brussels has been described as “a catastrophe” by Security and Home Affairs Minister Bernard Quentin, who has urged the deployment of joint teams of police officers and soldiers to patrol “criminal hotspots” in the city. Minister Francken, a member of the Flemish nationalist N-VA party, has stated that he is open to increasing security in Brussels, but emphasized that any deployment of troops must be legally justified and limited to essential security duties.
The capital’s public prosecutor, Julien Moinil, has reported 57 shootings in the city by mid-August, including 20 during the summer months. Moinil has warned that the growing danger posed by violent crime in Brussels puts every resident at risk of being hit by a stray bullet. Many of the incidents have occurred in neighborhoods such as Anderlecht and Molenbeek, which are known for gang activity and drug trafficking.
The demographic shift in Brussels, where 46% of residents are foreign-born compared to 18% nationwide, has deepened the city’s social and security challenges, according to officials. The city’s reputation as the “gun crime capital of Europe” has been highlighted in a recent Euronews report, underscoring the need for a coordinated crackdown on gangs.
Minister Francken has not ruled out the possibility of deploying troops to patrol Brussels before the end of the year, stating that “security falls to the police, not to the army. However, when the Interior Minister asks me, it becomes a task for Defense, which must protect the nation.” The situation in Brussels is being closely monitored, and authorities are under pressure to find a solution to the rising gang violence and restore order in the capital.
