RIYADH — The number of expatriate beggars has come down to 70 percent from 85 percent in recent years, a local daily reported Wednesday quoting the official spokesman of the Ministry of Social Affairs. "The number of foreign beggars has dropped as a result of the massive campaigns organized by the ministry against them during the past two years," Khaled Al-Thibaiti told Al-Eqtisadiah business daily. He said the ministry coordinated with the anti-begging offices of the Interior Ministry to launch massive campaigns against men and women beggars during the holy month of Ramadan. "The Saudi beggars were referred to the social security offices to be registered and paid monthly assistance while the foreigners were handed over the passports department prior to their deportation," he said. Al-Thibaiti said most of the foreign beggars were overstayers from the previous Haj and Umrah seasons. He said the begging combatting offices in Riyadh have deployed 28 teams to arrest beggars in the capital city during the just-concluded Eid Al-Adha. The spokesman explained that if the beggar is a Saudi national and is able to work he will be deferred to the labor office to find a job for him; if he his an orphan he will be taken to an orphanage; if he is a cripple he will be taken to the home of the disabled and if he is an old man or woman he or she will be taken to home of the aged. He said when caught, the Saudi beggars will be asked to sign a pledge never to beg again but if they repeat the violation for a third time they will be taken to the Bureau of Investigations and Prosecution (BIP) prior to them being send to court. Al-Thibaiti said the ministry has asked the social security offices to look for poor and needy citizens especially in the villages and hamlets to include them in their assistance programs. Meanwhile a scientific study published on the website of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology said the phenomenon of begging in the Kingdom was on the rise and added that the main reasons for it were the infiltrations through the southern borders and the overstaying of expats after Haj or Umrah. The study said the majority of foreign beggars were Yemenis followed by Egyptians and other nationalities.The study, conducted by a team of researchers from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Dawa and Guidance, said the majority of the foreign beggars were caught in Jeddah followed by Makkah and Riyadh.
