The Eindhoven Municipality wants to ban begging, but it’s not intended to lead to ‘raids’ on these people.
That’s according to Mayor John Jorritsma. This was under discussion at Tuesday evening’s council meeting. This was about the new general local ordinance including a ban on begging.
The party, 50PLUS, fully supports the begging ban. “There are some very irritating beggars in the city centre. We can take action against that,” councillor Theo Hoppenbrouwers says.
‘They don’t want help’
“They are people who don’t want help. If you live in the city centre, you are confronted with this every day.”
The SP thinks differently. “Nobody begs because they want to, but out of dire necessity. It is undesirable for everyone,” group chairman Murat Memis says.
“What current problem do we needs to solve? The proposal states that sometimes there is a nuisance. That ‘sometimes’ is a feeble basis for establishing such a heavy-handed general rule. Now, no one’s allowed to beg any more.”
Organised begging
The begging ban is aimed mainly at organised gangs. “These organised beggars don’t only affect people in their immediate area. They also have an effect on the city’s beggars. We want to have a tool to deal with these gangs,” Mayor Jorritsma said.
“Unfortunately, this is organised begging. Several cases could even involve explotation.” labour exploitation.” He says he can’t prove this, because the municipality doesn’t have the right data.
“We’re not targetting the weaker members of society,” Jorritsma assured everyone. “We’re, and the council’s welfare departments, are familair with them.”
The Mayor is concerned with the cases “that involve organised begging practices, with the aim of filling the bosses’ pockets. These beggars drive the city’s own beggars out.”
The discussion will continue next week.
Source: Studio040
Translator: Bob
Editor: Melinda Walraven
