Another article on aggressive beggars, on a possible interdiction of begging with children, without a single mention of Rroma. This in itself is good, but does it suffice? Everyone (see the comments at the end of the article) names the culprits. Sometimes, Political Correctness is not so effective.
A report on begging in Stuttgart and on the actions of the police against it. Again, Rroma are seen as the main source of beggars (from Bulgaria, Slovakia, and from Romania). Clearly an amalgamation of Rroma to beggars …
The story of a Rromni who came to France, and managed to get out of the Ghetto is being thrown out again. She broke the laws introduced by Sarkozy forbidding begging with children (7 years in jail and up to 100’000 EUR fines), and went to court three times to fight her conviction. And she won!
She is now on the verge of falling back. The French state’s policies are definitively pro integration …
Police in the Netherland has apparently uncovered 4 networks trafficking Rroma children for theft and begging. Apparently, the children are meant to steel 1’000 EUR per day. Some of these children had been placed under supervision in Holland and were found in Spain. The story seems true, unfortunately. To be followed.
4 Rroma women who are begging in Geneva went to the police to complain about a person who threatened them repeatedly. The man is under arrest since 10 days.
In Geneva, two Rroma were condemned to prison for having exploited a mentally handicapped kid, most probably Rrom, whose parents rented him out to the couple in Geneva.
Bad that it happened, WORSE, it strengthen stereotypes that Rroma are trafficking humans, involved in begging clans etc. This is purely a case of few destitute individuals …
Latest on begging in Sweden… Well, it is not forbidden, but beggars “limit access for disabled people” … What else?
The myth of organized begging – a mafia like organization… Real studies like the one in Lausanne in Switzerland have shown that these are sinly larger families or friends from a single viallage who come in the hope of work and end up begging to make end meet. Average income is so low that organized crime doesn’t pay here.
Breizh-info produced yet another scandalous article with all stereotypes such as criminality, poverty, begging, etc., and full of generalizations. In addition, as the journalists mixes up travelers, Rroma, nomads, he shows his total lack of knowledge and his true intent: Showing Rroma as dirty, poor beggars and thieves.
SHAME!!!
Two Bulgarian Rroma were sentenced in Sweden for running a begging scheme involving disabled and illeterate people. Bad.
This will be enough to renew the folktales of mafia like structures among Rroma and their involvement in begging, prostitution, etc.
An article on begging and Rroma accessing social services in Helsinki is really not acceptable. It is full with factual errors (no, most Rroma who come from Romania and Bulgaria are not and never were travelers), generalises, and implicitly associates Rroma with beggars.
BAD ARTICLE …
Yverdon is considering forbidding begging, following the steps of Lausanne. Bad idea, and when one thinks of how many people are concerned (less than 60 in Lausanne), why bother …
The Geneva police went to investigate a case of human trafficking – a man accused to have sold his invalid son to go and beg in Geneva. As usual, stereotypes prevail. No one has so far proven that there are criminal clans engaged in begging. There are families who live from that, but this is about it. And it is not a business – not for 20 CHF per day.
The debate on forbidding begging (assimilated to Rroma) is still going on in spite of the low numbers of beggars and no real logic or impact in forbidding it.
Total BS …
And as usual, our chronicle on the visible minority in France … News about Moirans, the place near Grenoble where riots took place to ask for the release of a detained Rrom – frm the Name of the mother (VInterstein) these are most probably Manouches or Sinti (Winterstein is a common name); Militants occupied a house where Rroma are planned to be housed near Lyon; politicians target Rroma camps in a populist move prior to local elections in Wissous, in the North; controversy on the Mission Rom in Strasbourg, which tries to muzzle journalists – scary; in La Courneuve where one of the oldest camps was emptied this summer, the fate of expulsed Rroma still shocks; volunteers in the North helping homeless; and finally poverty and begging near Paris are dangerous (REALLY???)
Geneva fines beggars. The fine is set at 220.— CHF, a steep sum when one thinks that begging brings in at most 20-30 CHF per day. This is being used to actually deport people as, when they are not in apposition to pay, they de-facto become criminals (they are sent to prison) that can be sent back to their country of origin with an interdiction to come back to Switzerland.
Salzburg joins a series of cities forbidding begging. This measure is more of a populist move than an actual solution. How can one forbid poverty? This is actually what these cities are trying to do.
A lawyer from Luxembourg, Gaston Vogel recently wrote a letter to the municipality protesting against beggars whom he qualified as “disgusting” and “insolent”, regretting that “nobody deals with this scum” (see second article listed below).
A Luxembourg citizen staged a protest action against these comments by symbolically begging in the city as an act of solidarity. Well done!
A poster campaign by a far right group in the Stockholm’s subway is shocking. It re-iterates the usual stereotypes of forced begging, organised criminality, etc. Outrage was also directed at the subway authorities that allowed these posters to be hung.
SHAME!
Another view on the ban of begging with children that is still being discussed in Berlin. A good summary of the views of the critics of this upcoming law.
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