Sweden: Government considers nationwide ban on begging

Fight against beggars
Sweden is considering a nationwide ban on begging

Despite criticism from within its own ranks, Sweden’s government wants to take stronger action against public begging for alms. Human rights activists protest.

The Swedish government and the right-wing populist Sweden Democrats have commissioned a special investigator to examine a nationwide ban on begging. This was announced by the leaders of the liberal-conservative government and the Sweden Democrats on Monday in Stockholm. The special investigator should weigh up the pros and cons of a ban and take further measures to combat begging Suggest Sweden.

“Begging was a rare phenomenon in Sweden for a long time. In the early 2010s, EU citizens began to come to Sweden to a greater extent than before, among other things, to beg,” one says Government announcement.

The government and right-wing populists want to revise laws

Begging can have negative consequences for both individuals and society. Many beggars live in difficult and degrading conditions and have limited access to social safety nets. A study has also shown that begging rarely leads to work and only provides short-term livelihood security, which risks entrenching the precarious situation.

The Swedish police also found that several groups of beggars were controlled by criminal actors. “These actors exploit vulnerable EU citizens, for example through extortion, human trafficking and exploitation. Sometimes vulnerable people are forced to beg under threat of violence, often to pay the unreasonably high costs of traveling to Sweden,” it says Government announcement.

Linda Lindberg, parliamentary group leader of the Sweden Democrats, said: “We don’t think it is reasonable for people to travel across half of Europe to beg in front of our shops.”

The government and Sweden Democrats believe that begging laws need to be revised. Currently, communities can use local ordinances to prohibit begging in certain locations, which has already happened in some communities. However, this possibility is limited.

Fight against beggars: Sweden wants to examine options

“Given the limitations of the current legal framework, the government believes that there is reason to examine whether the current system is working well or whether there is reason to expand the options for combating begging and harm to people in Sweden,” explained Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer.

The special investigator should therefore analyze whether the options for restricting begging should be expanded and how well the current system works with local regulations. He should also make suggestions for laws or other measures, including a possible nationwide ban.

The government assumes that begging has declined in recent years. But the investigation should clarify the extent of the problem, says Strömmer. “It still exists. The underlying problems of organized crime and human trafficking exist.”

The order is based on an agreement between the Sweden Democrats and the governing parties of the Moderates, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals. The special investigator is expected to submit his report by June 26, 2025.

Criticism from liberals and Amnesty International

A possible nationwide ban on begging is also met with criticism within the government. The Liberals’ highest decision-making body spoke out against a national ban on begging. “You can’t forbid people from showing their need or their charity. Moreover, the police have more important tasks than enforcing senseless bans,” liberal politician Jan Jönsson told the newspaper “Dagens Nyheter”.

Human rights organizations are also protesting. Amnesty International in Sweden argues that a ban on begging makes people more vulnerable to exploitation and crime. It is also discriminatory and racist. “We believe that police and prosecutors should focus on real crimes rather than pursuing people who ask for help because they are poor.”

According to the Swedish TV channel SVT The number of vulnerable EU citizens in the country, many of whom are begging, is estimated at between 4,000 and 5,000. However, the actual number is difficult to determine, the Stockholm district administration told the broadcaster.

Sources: Government of Sweden (1), Government of Sweden (2), “Dagens Nyheter”, SVT, Amnesty International