With feigned disabilities and canned begging, they appear during the month of fasting to solicit the servants of God in Ramadan. They dive into mosques, squares, squares, traffic lights, hospital gates, and the vicinity of automatic teller machines.
They do not leave a disability except to highlight it to beg and defraud people, and some of them deliberately use the elderly and children to solicit sympathy and harvest money with caution and a different loud “tactic”, as the security campaigns forced them to do so. Beggars adopt peak hours as their timing, and the inner residential neighborhoods as a favorite place for them.
Okaz's field monitoring revealed the concentration of beggars in front of the gates of commercial centers after the Asr prayer to take advantage of the influx of shoppers to buy necessities for breakfast. Restaurants claiming that they need breakfast and want to get free meals or paid money, so the beggar is not satisfied with what he gets from the meals he collects the largest number of them and then sells them to his peers.
Punish the instigators and “managers”!
The security authorities revealed the arrest of a number of beggars in several locations, including the courtyards of the Grand Mosque and in the Makkah Al-Mukarramah region, and a number of them were also arrested in the regions of Jazan, Medina, the northern borders, Qassim and Hail. Finally, the Riyadh police announced the arrest of 4 residents for begging by using forged medical prescriptions and claiming need. The Anti-Beggery Law provides for the punishment of anyone who practices beggary or incites, agrees with or assists others, in any way; Imprisonment for a period not exceeding 6 months, or a fine not exceeding 50,000 riyals, or both.
The anti-beggary law shall punish anyone who “manages beggars,” incites others, agrees with them, or assists them – in any way – with imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year, or a fine not exceeding 100,000 riyals, or both.
The system also states that all non-Saudis who have been punished – except for the wife of a Saudi, the husband of a Saudi woman, or her children – shall be deported from the Kingdom in accordance with the system after the end of his sentence in accordance with the applicable legal procedures, and prevented from returning to the Kingdom. With the exception of performing Hajj or Umrah, while the system permitted doubling the penalty in the event of the return of the “foreigner”, not exceeding double the maximum limit prescribed for it.
Do not open the ports
The security expert, retired Major General Misfer Al-Jaid, explained that begging is a serious danger and sympathy with beggars is unjustified and contributes to the occurrence of crimes and the impact on the country’s economy, and dealing with beggars is closer to covering up, aid and opening outlets for them, especially since most of them are violators of border security, and the Ministry of Interior has previously revealed Through permanent data that shows in numbers the number of people caught trying to cross.
The security expert, Al-Jaeed, warned against underestimating the provision of funds to them, as this poses an imminent danger to the security and safety of citizens and the capabilities of the country, and described providing funds to them and sheltering them with a poisoned dagger aimed at the back of the country, and the phenomenon must be confronted by reporting their locations, adding that the security services did not hesitate. For arresting every violator and beggar, and the citizen and resident must be the eye of the homeland.
Deportation.. except for Hajj and Umrah
The Public Prosecution warned against practices that fall under the crime of begging. It includes the humiliation of beggary, management of beggars, incitement, agreement or assistance in any way whatsoever; Because this falls within the description of “an organized group that practices begging.”
The Public Prosecution stressed that the beggar is the one who begs to obtain the money of others without charge or for an unintended return in itself; In cash or in kind, directly or indirectly in public or private places or in modern technology and communication, or by any means.
She explained that practicing beggary is anyone who has been arrested for the second time or more practicing beggary, indicating that the penalties for beggary include anyone who practices beggary, manages beggars, incites others, or agrees with them or helps them in any way.
She noted that the penalties for begging are imprisonment for a year, in addition to a fine of up to 100,000 riyals, and all non-Saudis who have been punished will be deported from the Kingdom and prevented from returning to the Kingdom, with the exception of performing Hajj or Umrah.
4 penalties for the apprentice and the assistant
Lawyer and legal advisor Abdulaziz Al-Qulaisi stressed that the anti-beggary law included 10 articles, in which the beggar was defined, who is a professional beggar, the responsibility of coordinating with the relevant authorities regarding combating beggary, and the penalties imposed on beggars.
Al-Qulaisi added that Article 5 of the system specified 4 penalties; It punishes anyone who practices beggary, incites others, agrees with him, or helps him – in any way – to practice begging. Imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months, or a fine not exceeding 50,000 riyals, or both. And he stressed that the article referred to the punishment of anyone who practiced begging, managed beggars, incited others, agreed with him, or helped him – in any way – in any of this within an organized group that practices beggary. Imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year, or a fine not exceeding 100,000 riyals, or both.
And he indicated that the system deports from the Kingdom all non-Saudis who were punished – except for the wife of a Saudi, the husband of a Saudi woman, or her children – in accordance with the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) of this article after the end of his sentence. According to the regular procedures followed, and he is prevented from returning to the Kingdom. Except for performing Hajj or Umrah.
Report to "911" and "999".
The General Directorate of Public Security warned against complacency in supporting beggars, stressing that this contributes to their continuation of the offense and the spread of their illegal activities. He called on the General Security to unite with the efforts exerted to combat beggary and stop giving to any beggar, while continuing to report violations of the number “911” in the regions of Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, and the number “999” in the rest of the Kingdom’s regions.
Observance of good faith
Lawyer Al-Qulaisi confirmed that the system stipulated that whoever practices beggary, incites others, agrees with him, or helps him in any way whatsoever to practice begging, is punished with imprisonment for a period not exceeding 6 months, or a fine not exceeding 50,000 riyals, or both, while the punishment is severe. To double if the profession of begging is linked to an organized group, so that the penalty becomes one year's imprisonment or a fine of 100,000 riyals, or both, with the deportation of non-Saudis. obtained from begging, and in the event that the money cannot be seized, a fine equivalent to its value will be imposed.
Al-Qulaisi explained that Article 6 stipulates that all cash and in-kind money obtained by the beggar from his begging, or that would be used for it, shall be confiscated – by a judicial ruling. If it is not possible to seize any of these funds; The competent court ruled a fine equivalent to its value; This is done taking into account the rights of good faith.
Al-Qulaisi indicated that the anti-beggary system considered begging for money through social media platforms as begging, while the system described as a professional beggar anyone who was arrested for the second time or more practicing begging. He emphasized that the system described the beggar as someone who begged to obtain the money of others without charge or for an unintended return in itself – in cash or in kind – directly or indirectly in public places or private shops or in modern means of technology and communication or by any means.
And he indicated that Article 2 of the system prohibited all forms and forms of begging, regardless of its justifications, and entrusted the Ministry of Interior with arresting them and referring them to the Public Prosecution for investigation and then referring them to court.
Child exploitation and human trafficking
Lawyer Majed Al-Ahmari revealed that using a person or a child, attaching him, transferring him, harboring him, or receiving him for the purpose of abuse is considered a crime of human trafficking. He stressed that Article 2 of the Law on Combating Trafficking in Persons prohibited trafficking in any person in any way, including coercion, threat, fraud, deception, kidnapping, abuse of position or influence, abuse of power over him, or exploitation of his weakness. giving or receiving payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another for sexual assault, forced labor or service, begging, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude, the removal of organs, or medical experimentation.
Al-Ahmari added that Article 3 punishes anyone who commits the crime of trafficking in persons with imprisonment for a period not exceeding 15 years, or a fine not exceeding one million riyals, or both.
And he indicated that Article 4 toughened the penalties in cases including if the crime was committed by an organized criminal group, if it was committed against a woman or someone with special needs, and if it was committed against a child even if the perpetrator was not aware that the victim was a child, and if the perpetrator used a weapon, or threatened to use it. .
Lawyer Al-Ahmari explained that the penalty is intensified if the perpetrator is the victim’s spouse, one of his ascendants, descendants, or guardian, or has authority over him, or if the perpetrator is an employee of the enforcement of regulations, and it is also intensified if the perpetrator is more than one person, and if the crime crosses borders. Patriotism, and if it results in severe harm to the victim, or permanent disability.
Don't forgive or underestimate
The Human Rights Commission revealed that the Kingdom does not tolerate or be negligent in combating trafficking in persons, narrowing the scope of such crimes, and holding accountable and deterring the perpetrators. She added that Saudi Arabia has put combating trafficking in persons at the top of its priorities, and has made tremendous efforts, praised by all, to prevent any behavior involving trafficking in persons, and judicial rulings have revealed the firmness of the judiciary in dealing with these crimes and in a manner commensurate with the nature of each crime.
Don't force the kids
The security expert, retired Major General Abdullah bin Hassan Jeddawi, explained that the exploitation of children in begging is a crime that threatens society and security and violates the rights of the child, and human trafficking gangs exploit the young and the elderly in the most heinous ways, and this is a crime punishable by the system and enters into the concept of human trafficking crimes, and the text of the Anti-Trafficking Crimes Law In persons, it is prohibited to traffic in any person in any way, including begging.
He added that forcing children to beg is a violation of the child protection system, and is a crime, especially since the victims are threatened with harm if they refuse the instructions of those who employ them from gangs that violate their rights. It harms their health, so exploiting children in begging is prohibited behavior and criminalized by the provisions of the system.
Ibrahim Al-Alawi (Jeddah) @i_waleeed22
