Norway to jail people who offer food, money or shelter to homeless people, to make begging illegal

 

 

Norway has proposed a law which would make it illegal to help people begging on the street. 

The draft for the anti-begging law would not only make it a crime to ask for money, but also to help those who beg.

The rules will state that those offering money, food or shelter to beggars will also face up to a year in prison

 Individual council's have been able to ban begging since last year, but now the centre-right government wants a nationwide ban.

The proposed law would criminalize organized begging, making it punishable with a prison sentence of up to one year.

Justice minister Vidar Brein-Karlsen, said the law was needed to outlaw those running begging networks as an organized business.

He said: 'We need to give the police the legal authority to crack down on people who arrange for beggars to get here, often in large groups.'