Morocco Launches Campaign to Combat Professional Begging Amid Rising Concern

The national association for the protection of children has just launched a national campaign to urge the Moroccan authorities to fight against the phenomenon of begging, which is growing within society. It calls on the government and the population to make more efforts to deal with the "professional scammers" who pretend to be in need.

According to Hespress, a campaign launched on social networks encourages citizens not to give to beggars: "no charity to professional beggars no matter how insistent they are. Yes to charity for orphans".

The Minister of Family, Solidarity and Social Development, Bassima Hakaoui, had stated that the Moroccan Penal Code provides for disciplinary measures ranging from one to three months in prison against beggars in public places and one year against those who exploit children for the purpose of begging. She recalls, however, that laws alone are not enough to combat this phenomenon.