Marrakech Intensifies Crackdown on Begging, Thousands Arrested

In his written response to a question from MP Aziza Boujrida of the Haraki group, Laftit indicated that during the first nine months of the year, 2,514 cases related to begging were processed, which led to the arrest of 2,557 people, including 181 foreigners, mostly sub-Saharan Africans. Of this total, 2,020 people were taken into custody, and 541 were released on the instructions of the competent prosecutor’s office, he added, specifying that among them, there were 2,039 adults and 518 minors.

To combat this phenomenon, the Minister of the Interior plans an integrated security approach, bringing together the judicial police, public security services, general intelligence and local authorities, in order to dismantle these organized networks that exploit children or practice so-called professional begging. This synergy of means and actions will make it possible to fight against all forms of begging, said Laftit, announcing the installation of surveillance cameras in sensitive areas and regular patrols on major roads and in strategic locations such as bus and train stations, around mosques, cafes, shrines and zawiyas.

This approach will be both repressive and social, the minister continued, specifying that sanctions will be imposed on repeat offenders and networks exploiting minors, but at the same time, support will be provided to these minors and certain vulnerable people with a view to their social reintegration. In addition, the law enforcement agencies will rigorously sanction deviant behaviors of beggars such as aggressive demands, threats, or even violence. Interventions will be carried out during sensitive periods such as the month of Ramadan and religious holidays when the influx encourages the resurgence of the phenomenon, he said.

And he concluded: "If the security operations aimed at combating this scourge take on a repressive character by applying the provisions of the Penal Code to arrest and bring offenders to justice, many situations are dealt with according to a social approach, in coordination with the prosecutor’s office and all the actors concerned, to limit the aggravation of this phenomenon." These measures will help ensure a secure living environment for citizens.