Earlier this week, the chiefs of the police zones on the coast sounded the alarm. They urged additional capacity and resources to deal with the growing problem of transit migrants on the Belgian coast.
Aggression towards officers is increasing, and especially with the already busy summer period ahead, the police fear they will not be able to sustain their efforts. “We simply do not have the capacity to do this for a long period of time,” he said during a hearing in Parliament on Tuesday.
The approach to the transmigration problem is now being strengthened, the federal police reports in a press release. In addition to the stronger coordinating role of the director-coordinator of West Flanders, that director will also be “appropriately supported by the (specialized) resources of the central services of the Federal Police”.
“All this is done within the available resources, taking into account other priorities and with particular attention to the safe working conditions of our colleagues on the ground,” it said. According to the federal police, the situation is “serious” and “continued attention” is needed.
