Over 1,000 beggars caught so far this year

AMMAN — A total of 1,116 beggars have been removed from streets since the beginning of the year, over double the 400 who were caught in the same period in 2014, an official said Thursday.

Since authorities have announced a “zero-tolerance” policy towards beggars, the number of vagrants detained by anti-vagrancy personnel is on the rise, according to Social Development Ministry Spokesperson Fawaz Ratrout.

Under the law, 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.

“We attribute the increase in the number of detained beggars to the intensified campaigns we are carrying out against them,” Ratrout told The Jordan Times, noting that about a fifth of the vagrants caught this year are Syrians.

“Syrian beggars receive the same treatment as Jordanians,” he said in previous remarks to The Jordan Times.

Ratrout reiterated the ministry’s call on the public not to sympathise with beggars, noting that giving them handouts encourages them to continue to beg on the streets, even after being apprehended and released.

The vast majority of the detained adult beggars are women, while most of the minors are boys, the spokesperson noted.

In 2014, the ministry detained around 3,300 beggars, 25 per cent of whom were children. The majority of adult beggars were women, while 18 per cent were Syrian refugees.

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