Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The far-right party in Belgium, Vlaams Belang, expressed its dissatisfaction with the action plan against drug violence explained by Brussels Prime Minister Rudi Vervoort after a meeting of the Regional Security Council. “The prime minister’s passivity is part of the problem,” said Dominique Lutens-Stael, leader of the Vlaams Belang bloc in the Brussels parliament. Brussels Senator Bob de Brabandere also strongly criticized Vervoort's approach: "The elephant in the room, which is the increasing presence of illegal immigrants on the territory of Brussels, has not been mentioned."
According to a statement issued by the far-right party, a copy of which we received, “In recent weeks, the municipalities of Brussels have witnessed several shootings linked to the drug environment.” The regional security council met on Wednesday to discuss the out-of-control drug problem. “The analysis of the problem presented by “Vervoort is an extension of the stagnation of the past.” “Many consultations, especially late ones, have brought about little change on the ground. The occupation of public space by drug criminals must be broken. Not with a soft approach, but with zero tolerance. Arrested criminals should only be released after the officer has finished filling out the papers, otherwise it is a matter of wiping the ground.
“Vervoort implicitly agrees with Vlaams Belang by saying that drug crime is closely linked to the problem of illegal aliens.”
Vervoort admitted during the press conference that drug crimes and the resulting brutal violence are the result of an accumulation of problems that have been affecting the Brussels region for years and that people have been working to address these problems for months. “I missed it and many Brussels residents with me,” De Brabandere said. “The drug problem may not be a purely Brussels phenomenon, but the complete inertia in tackling it is typical of the region.”
For months, Vlaams Belang has been calling for an integrated approach to the drug problem in the capital. The party is also not shy about mentioning the elephant in the room. “Vervoort implicitly agrees with Vlaams Belange by reluctantly pointing out that the ever-increasing presence of illegal immigrants in Brussels territory also plays a role,” says De Brabandieri. "But he doesn't attach any consequences to it. The drug lords are keen to include illegal immigrants in their criminal network, because they are left alone. If we want to address the problem, rolling back the disastrous open border policy is an essential part of the solution. If Vervoort was really serious, wouldn't he Turn to fellow party members responsible at the federal level?