Mechelen to outlaw begging in city centre
The ban, says the city government, will protect beggars from falling victim to organised crime
‘They’re not criminals’
According to the mayor Bart Somers, recent police checks revealed that many of the beggars in the city centre do not in fact live in Mechelen. “There was strong evidence of organised practices like criminal conspiracy and exploitation,” he said.
The city will set up a permanent contact point for beggars who are residents of Mechelen, while those registered elsewhere will be put in touch with the social aid agencies in the municipalities where they live. “This is to ensure that we can really help them,” said councillor for crime prevention Stefaan Deleus. “We don’t consider them criminals, but victims of organised crime.”
The city will now hold talks with the federal police and the prosecutor’s office. “We will be asking for this issue to be high on the agenda,” Somers said. “We want to punish the gangs, not the beggars.”
Photo courtesy De Standaard
