Another Swedish town moves to ban begging after landmark court ruling

The ban will come into effect from August 1st, according to P4 Sörmland radio, after the Social Democrats and Moderates voted in favour and were supported by the Sweden Democrats.

“It's a sad day, it has become colder in Katrineholm,” Centre Party group leader Inger Fredriksson told P4 Sörmland of the ban.

Sweden's Supreme Administrative Court the go-ahead to a begging ban in Vellinge, Skåne last December, after it had been overturned by a county administrative board and later the administrative court of appeal. These earlier decisions were made on the grounds that the council had failed to show that people collecting money caused public disturbance.

This ruling therefore set a precedent, and in a survey carried out by Dagens Samhälle last year, 24 mayors said they wanted to ban begging in their municipality. Since then, several other towns have taken preliminary steps to introduce such bans.

Katrineholm's proposal must now be submitted to the county administrative board for approval before it can come into effect.