Iraq to pay monthly stipend to beggars who quit street life

Dubai: Iraq’s Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has announced that individuals caught begging in public will be offered monthly financial assistance, on the condition they give up the practice for good.

The initiative, unveiled on Monday, is part of a set of reforms designed to combat widespread poverty and reduce visible destitution in Iraqi cities.

Kazem Al Atwani, Director of the Ministry’s Department of Media and International Relations, said that individuals apprehended during anti-begging campaigns will be assessed through field research and, if deemed eligible, granted a monthly stipend after signing a written pledge not to return to begging.

“For those who meet the criteria, they will be placed in care homes and provided with social welfare payments after thorough evaluation of their living conditions,” Al Atwani said.

The initiative includes public awareness campaigns to educate citizens on the risks of organized and street-level begging, as well as training workshops in coordination with the National Security Agency and community policing units. These efforts extend to shelters for homeless minors, victims of human trafficking, and displaced individuals.

However, the policy faces hurdles. A previous report by Iraq’s Alsumaria network revealed that many beggars, some of whom earn significantly more through street solicitation than they would through formal aid programs, are reluctant to participate. Some reportedly make up to ten times more than the proposed welfare stipend.

The new initiative comes alongside a nationwide crackdown announced by the Iraqi government, which aims to dismantle both individual and organized begging operations amid alarming figures. The Strategic Center for Human Rights in Iraq recently estimated that over 500,000 individuals, mostly women and children, are currently engaged in begging across the country.

Baghdad remains the epicenter of the crisis, with individuals lining up at markets, intersections, and public squares. Despite frequent security patrols and arrests, the phenomenon persists and continues to grow.

A recent study by the Al Nahrain Center for Strategic Studies attributes the surge to deteriorating economic conditions, high unemployment, and widespread poverty. It notes that repeated conflicts and displacement have forced many families into desperation, pushing even the elderly and children into the streets in search of income.

The study also pointed to a fragile educational system and rising illiteracy as key contributors, reducing access to viable employment and increasing reliance on informal or illicit income sources. Social welfare programs, the report added, remain under-resourced and unable to meet the needs of Iraq’s most vulnerable populations.

While traditional street begging remains prevalent, Iraq has also seen a rise in digital solicitation, often through emotionally charged appeals on social media, as well as the growth of organized begging networks. One of the leaders of such a network was arrested in Baghdad earlier this year.