Sweden considers begging ban amid growing public support

'You can’t ban poverty,' says Swedish Green Party politician

The issue of begging has divided the Swedish government (Reuters)

A ban on begging is being considered by the Swedish government, a minister has said.

The potential law, suggested by Civil and Local Government Minister Ardalan Shekarabi, of the centre-left Social Democrat party, comes after a poll showed half of Swedes wanted to outlaw asking people for money in the street.

The ban could split Sweden's coalition government with the Greens strongly opposed to the idea.

Sweden has seen a sharp rise in numbers of beggars from EU countries, in particular Romania and Bulgaria, which has riled anti-immigration groups.

“Begging on Swedish streets can never solve the major problems of exclusion and poverty in Romania and Bulgaria,” Mr Shekarabi said at a meeting in Reykjavik, according to a translation by The Local.

“The point of departure for this government is to defend and develop the Swedish [social] model. It’s hardly part of the Swedish model to solve poverty with begging."

Mr Shekarabi said the government had attempted to reduce the number of people ending up on Sweden's streets by coming to agreements with the Romanian and Bulgarian authorities.

“Yet still the begging continues, and our position is that begging in Sweden is no solution to the discrimination, poverty and social exclusion in the countries in question," he said.

A national ban on begging is in place in Denmark, where it is punishable by up to six months in prison.

Mr Shekarabi said it was "too soon" to give details about the details of the proposed ban.

The Green Party, the junior partners in the coalition government witht he Social Democrats, said they oppposed the move.

“Begging is not a crime in Sweden and the government does not intend to change this legislation. You can’t ban poverty,” said Maria Ferm the party’s migration spokesperson, according to The Local.

"It is not the government’s policy to use criminal law against people who ask others for help."

The Greens are currently trailing in the polls. If a vote were held now, the party would not get into power, a survey for the tabloid Aftonbladet found.

The anti-immigration party, the Swedish Democrats, has surged in popularity in recent weeks as the coalition has haemorraged supporters.

A poll commissioned by Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet found that half of Swedes support a ban on begging, with only 27 per cent explicitly opposing such a rule.

A survey by Swedish broadcaster SVT in 2015 found that the number of beggars in Sweden had doubled from the year before.

Between 3,400 and 4,100 EU nationals, mostly from Romania and Bulgaria, were found to be asking for money on Sweden's streets.

In August 2015, anti-begging advertisements created by the Swedish Democrats were branded as racist after they appeared on Stockholm’s undergound.