The authorities in Tangier have been conducting daily campaigns against begging and homelessness in the medina and main tourist sectors for several weeks. Up to 80 people are reportedly arrested each day before being returned to their city of origin.
Motorists are raising concerns about the growing presence of beggars at toll stations on Moroccan highways. The phenomenon is worrying for safety reasons, as people are moving between stationary vehicles.
Minister of Solidarity Naima Ben Yahia alerted deputies on Monday about begging. She emphasizes the responsibility of Moroccans, whose compassion fuels this phenomenon, with the most dangerous consequence being violent exploitation of minors .
On the corniche, in the souks and even behind video surveillance screens, Agadir’s tourist police multiply controls. Objective: protect vacationers and preserve the image of a city that welcomed over one million visitors last year.
The Moroccan police reject the claims of the Daily Mail regarding the imprisonment of a British citizen. The man was not imprisoned for distributing aid, but is being prosecuted at liberty for filming minors without their consent.
A 20-year-old British tourist was arrested and detained in Morocco after filming his distribution of basic necessities to children on the street. Accused of filming without consent, he was able to return to his country, but remains prosecuted.
A woman was apprehended by a police patrol in Ben Guerir while she was begging accompanied by her two daughters , aged 4 and 9 years old. She had a large sum of money in her possession.
In Morocco, the proliferation of beggars on the roadsides and at the entrance of toll booths represents a source of insecurity for road users.
A man was sentenced to four months in prison in mid-July for impersonating a woman in order to fraudulently obtain identity documents.
Begging on social networks is an offense just like begging on the street, Abdellatif Ouahbi, the Minister of Justice, recently stated.
The proliferation of beggars, including children, in M’diq, Fnideq and Martil is worrying human rights defenders. They denounce the lack of reaction from the authorities to put an end to this phenomenon, which is damaging the tourist image of these cities during the summer season.
In Morocco, begging has spread on social networks, especially Facebook, during Ramadan. The phenomenon raises questions.