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Italian town to fine people who give money to beggars

A northern Italian town has made it illegal for anyone to give money to beggars.

Italian town to fine people who give money to beggars
Bordighera said it would fine people who give money to beggars. Photo: Riccardo Romano

The decision was made after residents in the Ligurian coastal town of Bordighera, close to the French border, complained that they were being bothered by panhandlers.

Mayor Giacomo Pallanca said it was “pointless” to punish the beggars “who can't or will never be able to pay” fines, and so the onus will now be on people to stop giving them money.

The mayor ushered the rule in ahead of the tourism season, which usually gets underway over the Easter weekend.

“Since real organizations are often behind this phenomenon, we must eradicate it by discouraging those who offer money,” he told Il Secolo XIX.

“For anyone who is really in a state of destitution, there are social services available.”

Pallanca was unavailable for comment when contacted by The Local.

Similar initiatives have divided debate, but Steve Barnes, the co-founder of Project Rome, which supports hundreds of homeless people in the Italian capital, said the move by Bordighera is “very positive”.

“Not only is it humiliating to throw a few small coins at a person on the street, but it is far better to show them genuine compassion and kindness,” Barnes, who himself has been homeless, told The Local.

“A move like this also eliminates the risk of supporting organized street crime or fuelling an alcohol or drug habit, which could better be supported by the appropriate authorities.”

Project Rome also urges people to stop giving money, and instead start acting with genuine warmth.

“They need to be treated as fellow humans and not invisible, or someone to rain small change down on.”

At a national level, begging is legal in Italy. And even though it is forbidden to beg with children or animals, enforcement of the law is lax.

But other Italian cities have also adopted their own rules. In 2008, Venice became the first city to take a hardline approach by banning beggars.  Fines of between €25 and €50 were introduced for those caught begging, while police can also confiscate their takings. The move was mostly aimed at preventing children from being exploited by criminal groups.

Meanwhile, penalizing begging has aroused fierce debate in other countries. Last year, Norway was forced to scrap a proposal that would have slapped fines and jail terms on beggars and those who help them amid global outrage.

Begging is illegal in Denmark and the UK, where prosecutions surged 70 percent in 2014.

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FINES

REMINDER: What are the fines for breaking shutdown rules in Switzerland?

From failing to wear a mask or taking part in an illegal protest, here's how much you'll be fined for breaching coronavirus measures in Switzerland.

REMINDER: What are the fines for breaking shutdown rules in Switzerland?
Mask requirement is one of many in effect in Switzerland. Photo by AFP

PLEASE NOTE: The fines have since been partially relaxed. Please click here for more information. 

The rules went into effect on January 18th in an effort to rein in the spread of coronavirus infections, including those with the mutated strains, which have been on the increase in recent weeks.

These measures include the closure of bars, restaurants, and all non-essential businesses. Also, there is a limit of up to five people for public and private meetings, along with the working from home order whenever possible.

“Anyone contravening the measures to fight the epidemic will be committing an offence; persons who fail to comply with the rules may be fined between 50 and 200 francs, depending on the offence”, the government said. 

READ MORE: EXPLAINED: What are the details of Switzerland’s coronavirus restrictions? 

So what are the penalties for violating the above rules?

  • Organising a private event attended by more than five people: 200 francs
  • Gathering of more than five people in public space: 50 francs
  • Participating in an illegally organised event: 100 francs
  • Not wearing a mask on public transportation or in an airport: 100 francs
  • Not wearing a mask at public demonstration: 100 francs
  • Standing up while consuming in a bar or restaurant: 100 francs
  • Not complying with a quarantine requirement: up to 10,000 francs

Hundreds of fines have already been handed out for breaking Covid-19 rules.

For example, the police in the canton of Zurich imposed around 100 fines in the first week of February alone. Vaud handed 106 fines, while in Geneva, Valais and Thurgau, between 30 and 40 fines were issued in the first days of February.

Most fines have been imposed for exceeding the limit of five people for both public and private gatherings, cantonal police departments report.

READ MORE: Here’s how much you’ll be fined for breaching Switzerland’s coronavirus measures
 

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