2024-03-22 16:34:41
The fight against begging represents a complex challenge that requires a versatile approach, encompassing preventive, social and repressive measures. To succeed in eliminating this scourge, it is imperative that public authorities coordinate their actions, mobilize adequate resources and implement inclusive policies aimed at addressing the deep roots of poverty and social vulnerability. In this context, the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) has made several recommendations.
The presence of persistent begging represents a dark and worrying reality. While the country strives to build a better future for its youth, this phenomenon tarnishes the country’s image.
In numbers
In 2022, data from the Public Ministry reveal a grim assessment: 127 cases were recorded, involving 131 individuals prosecuted, we learned during a conference organized by the CESE to present its opinion on the phenomenon of begging.
Among the victims are 154 children, including 78 boys and 76 girls. These numbers depict a reality where each number represents a broken history, a shattered destiny. They remind us of the urgency of acting to protect the most vulnerable and prosecute those who violate their innocence and dignity. The reasons that lead to begging are diverse and complex, as revealed by data collected in regional and national surveys.
Indeed, the 2003 regional survey primarily points to poverty as the main driver of begging. Likewise, the 2007 national survey reveals a series of factors contributing to this phenomenon, among which poverty represents a preponderant share with 51.8%. However, other elements such as disability (12.7%), illness (10.8%), or even being forced to beg (4.70%), also play a significant role.
Furthermore, a regional survey carried out in 2003 in the Wilaya of Rabat-Salé-Skhirat-Témara, by the League for Child Protection and the Ministry of Health, revealed a sample of 792 individuals, estimating the number of beggars to 500,000 nationwide. This study was followed by a national survey in 2007, which covered 3,400 individuals spread across several regions, estimating the number of beggars at 195,950 nationally. However, these figures do not fully reflect the scale of the phenomenon, thus leaving a veil of uncertainty over the real situation.
What the law says
Since the advent of the Moroccan penal code in 1963, the question of begging and vagrancy has been at the heart of legislative debates. However, articles 326 to 333 of this code, which deal with these practices, today raise crucial questions about their relevance and their compliance with human rights standards.
Article 326, in particular, criminalizes habitual begging for those who have means of subsistence or who could obtain them through work or other lawful means. But this provision raises fundamental problems. What is the current definition of subsistence and need, and how can one objectively judge a person’s ability to work? These essential questions call into question the validity and fairness of section 326.
Furthermore, Moroccan legislation treats begging involving children in an alarming manner. Articles 331 and 327 equate begging with criminal acts, without taking into account the often desperate social circumstances in which these children find themselves. The association of begging with minor crimes and misdemeanors, such as carrying weapons or feigning infirmities, reflects a punitive rather than preventive approach to the issue. Furthermore, current legislation lacks consistency in addressing the exploitation of children in begging. The provisions relating to this exploitation vary depending on the age of the child and the relationship with the exploiter, which creates gaps in the protection of children’s rights.
Recommendations
The CESE has made recommendations to counter the phenomenon of begging on the national territory. These guidelines cover a wide range of aspects, from the protection of children to the reintegration of individuals in situations of begging, including prevention and evaluation of the policies put in place.
To begin with, the council advocates the total elimination of child begging by strengthening Child Protection Units (CPUs) across the national territory and intensifying enforcement against child exploiters and traffickers. Then, it insists on the need to protect vulnerable people against exploitation in begging, while putting in place rehabilitation and reintegration mechanisms for people in a situation of begging, in particular by revising the legal framework to put an end to the penalization of this practice.
Furthermore, the EESC recommends the development of alternatives to begging by encouraging the creation of income-generating activities, in accordance with its previous opinions on the reduction of the informal economy and the social integration of street vendors.
To prevent begging, it recommends measures aimed at strengthening the socio-economic resilience of households, in particular by reducing unemployment, combating poverty and social inequalities, and improving access to care, education and to work. Finally, the EESC underlines the importance of putting in place effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to guarantee the implementation and effectiveness of the policies adopted, while insisting on the promotion of decent work and social justice in all economic and fiscal policies.
Kenza Aziouzi / ECO Inspirations
1711140696
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