As the 2030 World Cup approaches, organized jointly by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, attention is focused on the issue of the phenomenon of begging in the country. The question was directly asked to the Minister of Family and Solidarity by a child parliamentarian.
During the sessions of the Children’s Parliament, several child parliamentarians addressed ministers with written questions. This is the case of a child who raised the trend of rampant begging in Morocco, where some have even created networks including human trafficking, particularly children, in order to attract the sympathy of charitable souls.
By raising the issue of the exploitation of children with the aim of making them beggars in the streets, the minister, who had just been appointed as part of the ministerial reshuffle, had to be confronted with one of the important subjects which question and disturb Moroccans.
As we approach the hosting of the World Cup in 2030, that is to say in 6 years, it is fair and coherent to ask what the department of Naima Ben Yahia (as well as the other ministries concerned by this phenomenon) will do to resolve this problem and avoid sending a bad image of the Kingdom. The child parliamentarian clearly underlined that this phenomenon distorts the image of Morocco.
Addressing the minister, the child parliamentarian recalled that public child protection policy sets major objectives, in particular the protection of children against violence and exploitation and the strengthening of social solidarity.
“Unfortunately, the phenomenon of child exploitation has become widespread and worsened, particularly in the areas of prostitution, begging and human trafficking”declared the child parliamentarian, emphasizing that this is happening despite the efforts made to reduce this phenomenon.
These phenomena represent a major challenge for the protection of the country’s image and the rights of children. And the minister was questioned about the measures that her department was going to put in place to correct the deficiencies in public child protection policy.
In response, the Minister of Family and Solidarity, Naima Ben Yahia, stressed that child protection is a national issue that requires the combined efforts of various sectors.
The ministry took three comprehensive approaches for all children, she responded, adding that this included victims of begging and human trafficking.
The minister stressed that the first approach focused on awareness and prevention, while recognizing that we must work to educate society on the fact that begging is a harmful phenomenon and that anyone who gives to a beggar contributes to the spread of this phenomenon.
Note that since the production of a Ramadan series last year on the phenomenon of begging, the number of Moroccans having expressed an unfavorable opinion on the subject has increased. More of them now refuse to give money to beggars on the street.
But the phenomenon has now taken on other aspects, notably with new techniques. They go beyond those who claim to need money to travel by train, and who claim to attend football matches, now beggars board trains in groups to ask for money for expensive medical treatment and spend all the journey to tell their argument.
Some now disturb customers sitting on the terraces of cafes and restaurants by entering inside or standing in front of them demanding money or food in the same place, or even placing candies or roses or other gadgets to force to receive some coins.
