The deployment of soldiers in the streets of Belgium will begin on Monday, Defence Minister Theo Francken announced on Thursday during a plenary session of the Chamber of Representatives.
A maximum of 200 soldiers will be deployed for a limited period of three months, he added. These 200 soldiers will initially be tasked with monitoring sites frequented by the Jewish community.
The military will initially be deployed in Brussels and Antwerp. The deployment will then be extended to Liège. Support for the railway police and large-scale integrated police operations (FIPA) is also planned. After three months, the contingent will be reduced to 90 soldiers.
Last Monday, Theo Francken and Interior Minister Bernard Quintin announced the deployment of soldiers to monitor certain locations frequented by the Jewish community, particularly synagogues and schools.
After several months of deadlock, an agreement was reached on Wednesday between three parties in the governing coalition (CD&V, N-VA, and MR) providing for the deployment of soldiers in the streets, notably in train stations and as part of the fight against drug trafficking.
“The goal is really for this to be temporary,” Theo Francken warned during the thematic debate on the defence budget. “We can’t deploy hundreds of soldiers in our streets every day.”
The minister indicated that the Ministry of Defence was receiving numerous requests for support. He cited the war in Iran and requests for defensive support from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, securing the Strait of Hormuz, the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the fight against the Russian shadow fleet in the North Sea, and support for Ukraine.
“Yes, we have an extremely busy schedule,” he concluded.
