Gypsy beggars to be banned from Finland ?

[Eldritch]

Proponents of legislative change want to send the message that foreign beggars are unwelcome in Finland.


Large cities in Finland, such as Helsinki, estimates the number of Romanian Gypsy beggars in the hundreds.

FINLAND’s Ministry of the Interior is studying the case for an outright ban on begging. Interior Minister Anne Holmlund feels that it is crucial that the need for legislative change be evaluated as quickly as possible, so that officials can intervene more effectively in what is a fast-growing problem.

Begging has become more aggressive in nature, and more closely linked to criminal phenomena. For example, Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation has uncovered traces of international human trafficking among the Romanian Gypsy beggars arriving in Finland. Investigation into the case is ongoing, but according to the Ministry of Interior, prosecutions in Romania may result.

Speaking at a 4 May conference for the Helsinki Police Officers Union in Siuntio, Holmlund commented:

“Begging isn’t banned under current Finnish legislation. But the rules do allow us to intervene if it constitutes a disturbance. Begging may be associated with child exploitation or aspects of human trafficking, for example, when people are forced into it. In those cases we’re looking at a more serious issue.“

Support for a ban

Numerous MPs have come out in favour of a ban, and Helsinki is among the cities that fear that the begging situation will get out of hand. Many bodies have called for swift legislative changes.

According to a proposal by Chief Superintendent and National Coalition MP Juha Hakola, for example, the Public Order Act should be changed to make begging in several locations punishable with a fine. Proponents of the change hope that beggars arriving from abroad will get the message that it’s not worth coming to Finland.

Begging is most visible on the streets of large cities. In Helsinki alone, some estimates place the number of Romanian Gypsy beggars at as high as a couple of hundred. The number is expected to rise as summer approaches.

An outright ban on begging was already considered a couple of years ago. A working group at the time decided against proposing a change to the law, however. The group concluded that a ban would not prevent poor EU nationals from arriving in Finland.

No working group has been set up this time. Instead, the police have been charged with looking into the matter.

Link.

It'll be fASScinating to hear the excuses they come up with not to go ahead with this. After all, 95% if not more of Finns would support this, therefore it must not happen. That's how the current government seems to view things.

[Tabiti]

Oh, no, I don't want them back!

[The Lawspeaker]

Oh, no, I don't want them back!

I don't care what you guys do with 'em. As long as they don't come here either.

[Tabiti]

I don't care what you guys do with 'em. As long as they don't come here either.

OK, just remove the "Crimes against Humanity" chapters from the EU criminal law codex and there will be no problem

[hajduk]

Whatever works Sending the whole lot to India would work too.

[Eldritch]

I deleted a few OT posts.

I trust that you guys won't be offended, and I assure you I did not do it out of sympathy for Romanians.

[Brynhild]

Ye gods, please forgive me for going off-topic for a moment, but I couldn't resist mentioning the add I saw below the OP's post - advertising great bargains on Ebay!

[The Ripper]

There was a tear-jerker story in HS today about how "attitudes have hardened" and beggars are "not welcome".

Send the scum packing.

[Eldritch]

It'll be fASScinating to hear the excuses they come up with not to go ahead with this. After all, 95% if not more of Finns would support this, therefore it must not happen. That's how the current government seems to view things.

And here we go:

Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen has encouraged the public not to give money to street beggars. Speaking to a gathering of political journalists on Wednesday, Vanhanen doubted whether begging could be stopped by law.

In the Prime Minister’s view, if people did not give money the problem would disappear effectively and quickly within a matter of weeks.

He added there were indications the current wave of begging was organized making it even more repulsive.

Finnish towns and cities have witnessed a proliferation of street beggars, mainly from Eastern Europe, over the past year.

Earlier this week, the Minister of the Interior, Anne Holmlund, set up a working party to examine whether legislative means could be found to ban street begging.

Link.

Typical Vanhanen: doing nothing about the problem itself, but hoping to score points by babbling randomly about it.

Notice that Pikku-Matti did not elaborate why exactly street begging cannot be stopped by law.

[RoyBatty]

It's amazing how the media keep referring to them as "Romanians". Just today I saw another article about a gang of "Romanian" squatters who broke into a house and are now holding the owners to ransom, ie, they want $$$ to leave.

It's bizarre how the authorities allow these GYPSIES to get away with this. I somehow can't imagine this being tolerated if it were to have happened to one of our precious MP's or Members of the Royal Family.

PS, just send in the skinheads, police turn their backs and notice nothing. Problem will be solved in 2 weeks maximum.