'600 beggars caught so far this year; 3,300 apprehended in 2014'

AMMAN — The Social Development Ministry’s anti-vagrancy personnel recently detained a 16-year-old beggar in Amman in possession of JD51, a ministry official said Wednesday.

The teenager was detained near Al Manhal roundabout and sent to a care centre affiliated with the ministry until the court looked into his case and returned him to his family, Social Development Ministry Spokesperson Fawaz Ratrout told The Jordan Times.

“Minors who beg are treated as people who need care and protection, while for adults the act is a punishable crime according to the law,” Ratrout said.

Courts usually take children back to their families after they present the court with a written pledge that their children will not repeat the act, the spokesperson added.

Adult beggars detained by authorities are referred to police stations and then to court in accordance with the Penal Code, while juveniles are referred to care centres affiliated with the ministry, where they are rehabilitated.

Some apprehended beggars have been found in possession of large amounts of money, according to Ratrout, who cited a vagrant who was in possession of JD1,500 when he was detained, while others turned out to own land, apartments and luxury cars.

He called on people not to give them money.

The family of an adult beggar recently paid the court a bail of JD100,000, Ratrout said.

“In 2014, the ministry detained around 3,300 beggars, 25 per cent of whom were children, with the majority of adult beggars being women, while 18 per cent were Syrian refugees,” he added, noting that Syrian beggars receive the same treatment as Jordanians.

Since the beginning of 2015, the ministry has apprehended around 600 beggars, according to Ratrout.

“The court issues rulings to transfer the seized money to a special bank account for the ministry, which uses it to cover the expenses of care centres,” he noted.