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Lacunae in Beggary Law

Lacunae in Beggary Law
Lacunae in Beggary Law

In the current calendar year, (started March 21) about 2000 beggars and homeless people have been rounded up in Tehran; but unfortunately, due to the existing lacunae in the legal system, beggars who have family and are not really homeless are released after a short period of time, and so return to the streets again, said Homayoun Hashemi, Head of the State Welfare Organization (SWO).

At present, a special joint committee has been formed under the supervision of the ministry of interior, and there are 20 active squads to round up street beggars and send them to care centers in Tehran, he said, reports Mehr news agency.

Also, there are 11 special SWO squads in the outlying areas of the city, he said.

Once rounded up, their special screening is first done through medical examinations. Beggars who don’t have any diseases are transferred to care centers while the rest are sent to quarantine for a period of time.

 Confined

Further, those without parents or a guardian are separated from the others, and social workers “organize them according to their status.”

Initially, all beggars are confined for 20 days. Orphans or those without guardians are kept for an additional 20 days, after which they are sent to different permanent care centers, according to their physical and mental health conditions.

Statistics indicate that as 85% of beggars have parents and guardians they are released after 20 days but unfortunately most of them go back to begging.

“In the current year, adequate funding is allocated for the maintenance of beggars, and we have enough care centers for them,” Hashemi added.

Financialtribune.com