Since 15 January, both uniformed and plain-clothes police officers have had the authority to implement the ban on begging introduced by the Luxembourg City municipal council. Beggars in the city centre and municipal parks can be subjected to fines between the hours of 7am and 10pm.
This modification of police regulations has triggered disputes across the country, with members of the opposition questioning the legality of the ban. On Thursday, justice minister Elisabeth Margue signalled intentions to modify Luxembourg’s Criminal Code this year in order to remove any legal ambiguity, but fell short of promising to ban begging across the country. Instead, municipal councils will have the authority to restrict begging at certain times and in certain areas.
On Friday, protesters joined a demonstration against the measures, supported by the OGBL and LCGB trade unions, members of the opposition parties including the LSAP, déi gréng, Piraten, déi Lénk and Fokus, as well as representatives from Médecins du monde and the Consultative Human Rights Commission (CCDH).
Earlier this week, Amnesty International Luxembourg said the ban would affect the human rights of the country’s most vulnerable people.
Residents of the capital do not necessarily agree with the ban, as RTL found out when speaking to passersby on Friday.
One young brewery employee said it was logical for local authorities to seek solutions to the begging issue: “It’s true that it improves conditions for restaurant terraces.”
Others said they agreed that begging could cause security issues, but hoped there would be more support rather than sanctions for the homeless.
However, a young woman interviewed by RTL reacted strongly to the idea of police officers issuing fines to beggars. “I find it a bit disgusting,” she said. “They already have very little to live on, and they still want to take even more away from the poor, even the little money they have, if any at all. How are they meant to pay the fine?”
A Luxembourgish woman said she thought even the police disagreed with the ban. “Even the police have an issue with it [...] the law isn’t clear, so that causes a problem.”
Another interviewee said they appreciated the extra police presence, but wondered why beggars could not simply be sanctioned verbally. Others also expressed compassion towards people living on the streets, asking what measures would be put in place to help them instead.
“No one chooses to beg,” concluded another resident. “I would prefer to look at more social support than resorting to fines.”
