Sweden is considering prohibiting begging, a plan that has sparked outcry from human rights organizations, which claim that the government is aiming to “outlaw poverty.” The country’s center-right government, which is backed by the far-right Sweden Democrats, has announced a research on how such a ban may be enforced, with a report due by June 2025.
Linda Lindberg, the Sweden Democrats’ leader, revealed at a news conference earlier this week that begging was unusual in Sweden until the early 2010s, when an influx of EU citizens began arriving to beg. She described the decision as a “good measure,” adding that the surge in begging has coincided with an increase in organized crime. “It is not reasonable for people to travel across half of Europe to beg outside our stores,” according to her. The Sweden Democrats first ran on a promise to ban begging throughout the country.
In response, various social welfare and human rights groups have condemned the proposal, warning that it could have harmful consequences. Stockholms Stadsmission, a Christian social organization, argued that banning begging or requiring permits would merely shift the issue and fail to address the root causes of poverty. They advocate for long-term solutions that include structural poverty reduction and initiatives to combat discrimination, emphasizing the need for societal support to facilitate pathways into employment and housing for vulnerable populations.
The proposal, under discussion since 2022, has elicited mixed reactions within the ruling coalition. Liberal MP Anna Starbrink expressed her opposition to the ban, asserting, “Measures are needed to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable people. But people in need cannot be forbidden from asking for help.”
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Source: The Daily Guardian
