Kosovo Removing beggars, a challenge for the police

January 1, 2003

Comment: Only in the month of February, the police identified 45 persons begging in the streets, that were taken to the police station: among them were 28 children, and 7 Kosovar citizens. The largest numbers of these persons begging were from Albania, 38 in total and 28 from them were children.

It is a very challenging mission for the police to remove the beggars off the streets. According to the police there were 7 to 8 operations to remove the beggars, which seemed to be successful two to three days. Even though the court sentenced the beggars from Albania of 3 years of forbidden entrance into Kosovo and the local beggars warned in a spoken manner, this situation continues as before.

It is important that the large public of Kosovo gets informed and concerned about the risks the children beggars are exposed to on the streets of the main cities of Kosovo. Citizens should be aware that giving money to children is feeding child exploitation. The longer the public continues to give money, the longer this situation of beggars will persist.