Recent media headlines have painted a rather alarming portrait of Brussels, now having to cope with an increased presence of drug gangs. As a direct consequence of this influx, there have been shootings between youths in the streets, and the matter is quite serious. What the Data Says This isn’t just paranoia or isolated incidents. Recent reports show that Brussels is among Europe’s top cities for gun violence, alongside Marseille and Naples. In 2024 alone, there were around 90 shootings tied to drug-related turf wars in the city. Belgian drug consumption hit an estimated €1.2 billion in 2023, effectively doubling previous figures. This hard data confirms that the drug trade here isn’t a rumor — it’s a booming and violent underground economy. We are not talking about a few street-corner “weed deals,” but organized criminality of the highest order. Some reports even mention the so-called “Marseilles mafia” stepping in — heavy hitters from the South of France. (I have not personally verified this, but anyone called the “Marseilles mafia” probably isn’t in the cupcake business.) This isn’t to say that Brussels has suddenly become a post-apocalyptic wasteland with shattered glass and fur-coated pimps on every corner. But there is a meaningful rise in the availability of harder drugs and violent disputes over territory. Brussels Was Home Brussels used to be home for me. I lived there for over 20 years before leaving eight years ago. I rented in the city center, worked, hung out, soaked in the atmosphere — so I feel I have at least some claim to an informed opinion. When I first read the headlines, I was honestly surprised it hadn’t happened sooner. More to the point, I’d question the business acumen of organized crime for overlooking Brussels for so long. “Where were you?” I’d ask them. “Do you not read the Economist?” The Places You Don’t Go When I moved to Brussels at 22, I was warned (sometimes the hard way) that some areas are simply off-limits. Dangerous, unwanted, and guaranteed to make you stick out like a sore thumb. One of these was, surprisingly, the subway. Anyone who was a youth in Brussels in the 90s has stories about how unsafe certain stations felt. (Anything past De Broukère heading towards Heysel, for example.) The subway’s open access allowed street youths to hang out and spot the weakest zebra in the herd. I was surrounded several times by such thugs. One of my guitar players came into our rehearsal room once in shock after getting slapped around… Everyone who lived through that era has a story like this. The Divided City Central to Brussels’ problem is that it is divided into 19 administrative suburbs. Some areas have always been less welcoming: Molenbeek, Schaerbeek, Saint Gilles, and Anderlecht. Meanwhile, the “nice” areas—Boitsfort, Ixelles, and Auderghem—are exceptions. Most of the city is a sleepy “nothingness,” but now the media reports this “nothingness” has grabbed the attention of criminal gangs. So, no more sleeping for them. Molenbeek’s Shadow Molenbeek’s mayor had a constituency of over 90% non-Belgians. What happened in the 1990s was confirmed globally 30 years later after the Bataclan shootings in Paris. Molenbeek had become a hotbed of radicalization, full of unregulated mosques and extremist preachers. Who was preaching, what they said—nobody knew. Why? Because it would have been “insulting” to ask, so authorities did nothing and let it fester for 30 years. I recently searched whether Philippe Moureaux, the longtime mayor of Molenbeek, ever commented on his responsibility for this situation. I found that Nadine Ribet-Reinhart, who lost her 26-year-old son in the Bataclan attack, tried to prosecute the Belgian state for “inactivity” despite full knowledge of radicalized youths in Molenbeek. Her lawyer said bluntly: “Moureaux could not have been unaware.” She’s right. Predictable Riots In 2022, my American father-in-law pointed at the TV news and said, “Look at that! It’s all fun and games in Brussels!” I told him, “No surprises here. There was a Belgium vs. Morocco football game, so youths in Molenbeek celebrated by burning cars.” Nothing new under the Belgian sun — this will happen again at the next big match. Only the Brussels police seemed surprised; somehow, I knew how it would unfold from 3,000 miles away and a week in advance. Maybe I’ve got a crystal ball. Why Brussels Is Prime Real Estate for Drug Trade Let’s look at Brussels through the eyes of a gangster planning business: Small, decentralized city divided into 19 suburbs, making coordinated policing nearly impossible. No common language: French, Dutch, and German are all official, but few locals are fluent in all. Easy to fly under the radar. Generous unemployment benefits. Presence of EU institutions attracts a multinational, transient population—an anarchic cultural melting pot. Why wouldn’t a drug dealer want to sell in Brussels? Police and Culture Americans reading this might think, “Don’t they have police? Guns to keep order?” They do, but Belgians are not “hard” people. Police officers reflect that cultural trait—non-confrontational and bureaucratic. Belgium is a tiny, divided country with no equivalent of an “America First” or “England Belongs to Me” mentality. They prefer peace and quiet and are not raised as fighters, whether in sports or society. The public perception of Belgian police is easily confirmed online. In 2016, Chief of Police Vandersmissen was knocked out on the street by a protester. When Brussels youths got tired of Covid lockdowns, they threw open-air parties in the largest parks, provoking police without fear. When Morocco wins a match, riots break out and cars burn. Drugs Were Always There — Just Quieter Back in my nightlife days pre-2010, powdered and chemical drugs were ridiculously available. It’s no exaggeration: if you said, “I can’t get drugs,” people would wonder where you’d been living. Drugs were used openly—sometimes in bar toilets, even on counters—with no one batting an eye. This probably stems from cultural norms where downing hard beer senselessly is considered perfectly normal. Add in the confused decriminalization of “soft drugs” — marijuana’s legal status was unclear and enforcement inconsistent — and you get a recipe for normalization. The Youth Want the Latest Thing Young people always look for the “next big thing” to stand out. If hard beer and marijuana are the norms, naturally they want something more exclusive. Why be boring? The Future Outlook My gut says the situation will stay much the same. Drugs will continue to be sold across social classes, and occasional violent “battles” will remind competitors who controls which street. Change only happens when things become intolerable. If you’re cold and wet once, you tolerate it. If it happens all the time, you build a shelter. If only partly wet, you do nothing. Who’s Interested in Change? Youths might face inconvenience if dangerous zones increase — a small price for easy access to drugs. Politicians will blame the EU or lack of police coordination. Police will point fingers at politicians. Residents of troubled areas will complain and see occasional arrests. No Chicago Gangland War Incoming A sliver of hope: Brussels isn’t heading toward a 1920s Chicago-type turf war. If the drug dealers are smart, they’ll keep a low profile and avoid drawing too much attention. The city’s size and demographics act as natural limits on narcotics trade growth — drugs are easily available but not “out of control.” Conclusion So, Brussels isn’t a war zone — but it’s far from safe and stable. It’s not terribly bad, but not good either. That’s the Brussels way. About the Author: Chris is a French coach for adults at OuiCommunicate. Now a resident of the US, he lived in Brussels as a native speaker from 1994 to 2016. He has a Masters in Literature and Linguistics and a PGCE in Education. He regularly goes over to his parents in Brussels to say hello and now sees it rampant with weeds, more graffiti and even more trash in the streets than it was in the 1990s.