UAE: Sharjah Police target ‘seasonal’ beggars in Ramadan 2024
Officials urge residents to report illegal beggars, donate to approved charities only
Sharjah: Efforts to combat begging have been stepped up in Sharjah for Ramadan, with the police urging the public to report beggars.
Most beggars exploit people’s religious and charitable sentiments to make easy money, police warned. Sharjah Police have launched an anti-begging campaign in Arabic, English and Urdu to raise public awareness.
Officials said a public complaint would be followed up by a police patrol that would be despatched to the location where an incident of begging is reported.
• ‘Guard’ service on Sharjah Police’s app
• Sharjah Police website
“Police patrols have been deployed at places frequented by beggars, who take advantage of Ramadan and go to mosques and markets, banks and residential areas to ask people for money,” Sharjah Police said.
Risks posed by begging
Police said incidents of begging are not only a public nuisance, but also distort the country’s image, as those involved carry out illegal activities.
As part of its initiatives to combat begging, the Sharjah Police General Command, represented by the Media and Public Relations Department, in cooperation with the Anti-Beggary Committee, has launched its awareness campaign under the slogan ‘Begging is a crime and giving is a responsibility’, with the aim of educating members of the public about the risks that begging poses to society.
The awareness messages will also be posted on social media accounts of Sharjah Police on a regular basis.
Sharjah Police said donations by the public should be made only through officially approved charity associations. They added that the campaign against begging continues and legal measures will be undertaken against those arrested.
“Those who have limited resources or face difficult [financial] situations in the UAE can contact any of the authorised charity and humanitarian organisations, who will study their individual cases and offer them help within the legal framework,” Sharjah Police said.