Jail for helping homeless? Norway MPs want to criminalize both begging and aiding

Published time: February 04, 2015 21:31

Reuters / Yannis Behrakis

Norwegian lawmakers are working on a bill to introduce a national ban on begging in the streets and even want to extend it by proposing jail for helping the homeless with money, food or shelter.

According to the draft of the law, begging in the streets will be punishable with fines and even imprisonment for up to one year. This was the original plan when the draft first emerged in June.

After further amendments, the same punishment may now hold true for those who give beggars money or offer any help, local media report. The bill was sent for more consultations until February, 15.

Plans to fight begging appeared last year after the polls showed that more than 60 percent of the population said it should be considered a crime. The government report stated there were up to 1,000 beggars in the country, which has a population of five million, and the majority of them were foreigners who “work” in groups.

Last year local councils got the right to ban begging in areas under their control but the new law is to be put into effect in the whole country.

http://rt.com/news/229387-norway-punish-beggars-helpers/