Erbil police to crack down on street begging

ERBIL – The Erbil administration announced Wednesday it will begin arresting beggars and fortune tellers operating near car showrooms and busy traffic intersections. Governor Omed Khoshnaw directed the Erbil police to target both men and women engaging in these activities in the industrial areas of south and north Erbil.

“This decision comes at the request of and complaints by citizens, aiming to eradicate the phenomenon of unsanitariness, prevent the occurrence of unwanted incidents… [behavior] far from public etiquette and customs, and violations of and non-compliance with regulations and guidelines,” the administration said in a statement obtained by 964media.

The Kurdistan Region has seen a rise in the number of beggars due to socio-economic factors and insufficient legal deterrents. Police statistics indicate 1,165 beggars were arrested in the region in 2022. Hogir Aziz, an Erbil police spokesperson, previously stated, “The Iraqi penal code related to begging is very weak and lacks the means to effectively control the phenomenon, leading to its increase and spread.”

Articles 390 and 391 of the Iraqi Penal Code classify begging as a crime punishable by up to three months in prison or a fine of 450,000 IQD ($343).

The regional instability, fueled by conflicts with the Islamic State and unrest in neighboring countries, has led to an influx of internally displaced persons and refugees into the Kurdistan Region. Many beggars come from these backgrounds, resorting to begging due to a lack of employment opportunities.

In January, the Independent Commission for Human Rights of the Kurdistan Region began collecting information on child begging and labor to identify rights violations. Additionally, the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs requested a comprehensive campaign to combat witchcraft and sorcery. Security forces’ subsequent operations have led to several arrests of practitioners involved in such “fraudulent activities.”