"Drogendësch 2.0": Luxembourg declares all-out war on drug crime
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On 8 May 2025, the Government of Luxembourg presented a new inter-ministerial action plan, "Drogendësch 2.0", aimed at combating drug-related crime in an integrated manner. The plan continues the 2021 strategy and is the result of cooperation between the Ministries of the Interior, Justice, Health, Social Protection and Family and the Luxembourg City Hall.
Interior Minister Léon Gloden makes no secret of his intentions: "We want to give residents back their neighbourhoods." Against a backdrop of rising arrests and record drug seizures in 2024, "Drogendësch 2.0" offers a combination of increased police presence and social initiatives. In the first four months of 2025 alone, 2,800 patrols have been carried out in the capital - 35 per cent of them in the Gare/Hollerich and Bonnevoie districts.
The plan includes:
- 24-hour operation of police stations
- Placement of new commissariats in vulnerable areas
- Expansion of the Visupol visual patrolling project
- Platzverweis renforcé" - forcible removal of persons from the place of disturbance
- Urbanisation and Security Unit
Gloden emphasises that this is about targeting drug traffickers who disrupt public order. The principle is "less chaos, more control.
Justice Minister Elisabeth Margue has unveiled initiatives to modernise the criminal justice system. Key steps include:
- Amendments to the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure
- Bill No. 8515, clarifying the powers of investigative bodies
- Recruitment of additional judges
"We will ensure that crime does not go unpunished and victims are protected," Margue emphasises.
The Ministry of Health, under the leadership of Martine Deprez, is focusing on access to medical and psychological care:
- Social and health service opening hours are being extended, including nights and weekends
- The structures of the Abrigado Centre are being strengthened
The ministry notes the importance of early intervention to prevent crises and the spread of infections.
Solidarity Minister Max Hahn emphasises the difference between homelessness and drug addiction. A comprehensive approach to the fight against poverty is emphasised:
- New lodgings and day shelters
- Accompanied social laundries and workshops
- Reintegration programme
Mayor Lydie Polfer notes that the situation in the Gare and Bonnevoie neighbourhoods requires coordinated solutions. The city is involved in projects:
- "Housing First and the opening of the temporary structure Abrigado III.
- Increasing the opening hours of shelters
- School security and social presence in vulnerable neighbourhoods
Polfer reminds us: "From January 2025, we are seeking decisive action from the state. Citizens must not suffer from street chaos".
Drogendësch 2.0 is not just about tougher measures, but also about recognising that sustainable solutions require police, justice, medicine and the social system to work together. The new plan covers the whole spectrum: from street control to social support, from legal reforms to the defence of civil rights. It becomes a maturity test for the entire Luxembourg model of security and solidarity.
