Network of begging

The networks of begging are a branch of the organized delinquency generally working in the center of the big cities or close to ways with great passage. They are presented as being beggars, but their methods are more aggressive (active request of the passer by, new request to ask more after one gift…).

The term professional beggars is sometimes used (with the Morocco in particular).

Methods

Handle

Some make the sleeve in the street or close to the great road ways. They are more active than the beggars really in the need and request the gift not only with the passer by but also an additional gift with that which already gave.

Sometimes, of the women put themselves in scene with a child. In the past in France, children were rented for this activity. This practice develops in particular in North Africa.

False humanitarian

Those which practice the " forgery humanitaire" can do it without legal structure or within the framework of association. One can for example see statutes of associations which concern " the humanitarian and the organization of évênements festifs".

Sale with the profit of an announced cause of products at unreasonable prices.

Sale of newspapers: the salesman proposes a newspaper, in the event of refusal it changes while begging, and in the event of purchase it begs also more money.

Sale of postcards to the profit of an association declared or not for a rather broad cause so that a great number of people are of agreement to help.

False petitions

A member of the network presents himself as pertaining to an association for which one can be only for. He presents a sheet as being a petition, by holding the sheet firmly and by hiding a part. After the box signature the box " is; assembling don". The goal is to force the customer to feel to oblige to give since it signed. Actually there is no obligation because the signature is before the box and considering the method, it is in any event illegal.

Exploitation of handicapped people

Emilie Rivets, “Taken refuge and handicapped, of the indicated victims”, in Humanity , July 1st, 2002

Begging by Internet

anglophone Article of Wikipedia

Fight against the networks

In France, the penal code prohibited " exploitation of the mendicité". A law against the aggressive begging was very badly received by the public opinion.

In North Africa, the problem is taken with serious and of true policies start to be installation.

Methods to secure such acts

False humanitarian

If it is of a search or a sale for an association, the town hall must be informed about it. You can thus inform you in the town hall of the city concerned. In this case, it is probable that association has a stand into hard with a posting and not only of the personnel disseminated or placed at key points.

When the people present themselves to defend a cause, ask the name of the association to which they belong and possibly a leaflet. You are not to in no case obliged of given immediately, knowing the name of association you will have time to check if the action were real or not. Some remain vague, others can invent names of association, or give the name of an existing association.

organized Begging

Often, when one gives has a person belonging to a network, the person even insists to have (and perhaps especially) if the sum given is important. The reason is that the goal is to pay as much as possible, that becomes a trade, therefore when a " client" give, it is necessary that it gives as much as possible. If you give to a person whom you do not know yet, it is thus necessary to give little. Thus, you will see his reaction. You will be able to give one next time more if it proves that the person is not in a network.

The networks generally use more aggressive methods to beg. Thus, if a beggar can challenge a passer by or even, more rarely, to accost it, the networks are not satisfied to accost, they strongly insist, block the passage, etc In situations such as those it is necessary to avoid giving. If however you give because you think that the person is really in difficulty, give little. If the person makes you a remark to wonder more, there are strong chances that she belongs to a network.

Drifts of the fight against the organized begging

Some fear that a whole population is stigmatized. If in fact often the Rroms are in such networks, all are obviously not dishonest persons, and some are even victims of these networks (handicapped people, women…).