Ministry of Interior: Plans to end the phenomenon of beggary in Iraq

INA - BAGHDAD 

Ministry of Interior identified on Wednesday, 3 factors to eliminate the phenomenon of begging in Iraq.

"The phenomenon of begging is one of the widespread problems in the country. It is linked to several parties, and not to one party," said the ministry's spokesman, Major General Khalid Al-Mhanna to the Iraqi News Agency - INA, noting that "the Ministry of Interior does not bear the responsibility to solve this crisis on its own."

He explained that "the part that is related to the Ministry of Interior lies in organizing almost daily campaigns by catching beggars and sending them to the judiciary," pointing out that "many of these beggars are those who live below the poverty line, so they are forced to beg to secure their basic daily needs, because there is no source of livelihood. Therefore, even if legal measures were taken against them, they return to practicing this case because there is no alternative solution."

"Most of the beggars in the streets were arrested many times by police patrols. Solving the problem of begging is related to several parties, including the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, by including the largest number of people living below the poverty line with social protection, and providing social protection structures and infrastructure to shelter the homeless. Another aspect related to the Ministry of Education by emphasizing the issue of school evasion. A part also related to the citizen by not encouraging them and giving them money or yielding to their insistence," he pointed out. 

He highlighted that, "dealing at the same time with reliable funds and associations or humanitarian organizations to give legitimate dues to the beneficiaries."

Al-Mhanna stressed "the need to provide these factors combined to solve the phenomenon of begging," saying, "beggars are practicing extortion operations against the citizen and sometimes they transgress against citizens, in addition to their different means of begging. This include online begging by sending messages asking for help and explaining certain situations on a daily basis."