Arrests of beggars see hike during Ramadan, eid

AMMAN — An unprecedented number of beggars were arrested during Ramadan as a result of “intensified efforts” to combat the practice, an official said on Sunday.

The Social Development Ministry referred 550 beggars to the judiciary during Ramadan and 138 during Eid  Al Fitr holiday, recording an increase of 200 beggars compared to 2016, when 350 were arrested in the same period, ministry spokesperson Fawaz Ratrout told The Jordan Times.

Some children face exploitation after being recruited as street peddlers to sell flowers or other items as a pretext to beg, according to the official. 

“One beggar, who was arrested on the third day of the holiday, was carrying JD1,075 in his pocket,” Ratrout claimed, adding that all of those arrested are subject to investigation as part of  efforts to combat the practice.

Ratrout said that the increased arrests did not reflect an overall higher numbers of beggars operating on the streets, but were instead a reflection of the ministry’s “intensified efforts”, in cooperation with municipalities and the judiciary, who were on duty over the holiday.

Begging is considered a crime in the Kingdom as stipulated by Article 389 of the Jordanian Penal Code, which penalises the act with fines or imprisonment, the spokesperson said.

First-time offenders “shall be punished for a period not to exceed three months or the court may decide to refer him/her to any institution designated by the minister of social development and which provide care for beggars for a period not less than year and not more than three years”, Penal Code, Article 389 reads.

For juveniles, the ministry refers them to specialised centres for protection and rehabilitation, the official noted, adding that some centres reached their maximum capacity during Ramadan.

Compared to the rest of the year, Ramadan witnesses a hike in the number of beggars at marketplaces and in front of mosques and banks, as there is a perception that people are more prone to donating money.