Child beggar networks persist despite crackdown in lebanon

A week after the government announced it had arrested at least 90 people in a crackdown on street beggars and adults operating child beggar networks in the country, children are still seen on the busy streets of the capital. Poorly dressed for the winter season, children as young as three are still roaming the streets of Ashrafieh, Gemmayzeh and Hamra to sell flowers to passersby, or beg for cash if their goods are turned down. While the government says that the campaign is ongoing, its effectiveness and success are facing challenges given the increase in the number of families living in extreme poverty and the continuing influx of Syrian refugees into the country. Since the start of the campaign last month, some 90 children were pulled off the streets and transferred to child care centers in the Greater Beirut area. But not all were homeless. A security source involved in the crackdown last month told The Daily Star that some Lebanese parents are involved in child beggar networks and are forcing their kids to spend days and nights on the streets to collect money. “Among the arrested adults were parents of street children involved in the child beggar networks,” said the source. Although eight adults arrested for exploiting children are to face charges of child abuse by the judiciary, parents involved in child beggar networks were released after they signed a declaration document, vowing not to send their children back to the streets. According to the Lebanese Penal Code’s Article 618, it is prohibited to force or allow a child to beg. “The adults in custody will face severe charges ... legal punishment for the adults exploiting the children were recommended by government officials,” said the source, who preferred not to be identified as he is not authorized to speak to the media. While the crackdown has not emptied the streets of child beggars, it has spread fear among the beggars who roam the packed streets of the capital. Ahmad, who said he is 10 years old, was in a thin shirt and torn jeans when he approached a group of locals and foreigners in a busy alley in Hamra. He said he shares a room with a group of “other kids his age,” as he carefully looked around for approaching policemen. But perhaps Ahmad need not worry. In Gemmayzeh, even with a police station nearby, child beggars continue to freely interrupt conversations to ask for money. For the security source, the government had failed to launch a strong campaign against street begging earlier because there was an insufficient number of care centers available to shelter homeless children. “In the past 10 years, there have not been enough care centers to take these children in and look after them, but today there is great progress in this campaign and we hope to succeed,” the source added. Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour, who has spearheaded the campaign since taking office last year, described the arrests as successful but said children have become victims of these networks. “Children are victims ... we should take care of them and punish the adults abusing them,” said Abu Faour. “The crackdown on these networks will continue and we have already transferred 60 homeless children to care facilities,” he added. “We need to make sure that the campaign continues and does not stop at this stage,” the minister added. Officials at the social affairs and justice ministries said that they have referred most of the arrested street children to Home of Hope, an institute located in the Beirut suburb of Kahaleh. Elie Mikhael, a senior official at the Social Affairs Ministry said the government should first attempt to return the street children to their families before referring them to institutions such as Home of Hope. “Efforts should be placed on returning these children to their parents, and only those who don’t have a family should be taken to care centers,” said Mikhael, the general secretary of the Higher Council for Children. According to Mikhael, the most important step should be the implementation of the laws that prohibit the use of children for labor and begging. “Once we implement the laws and all those who are using children are arrested, more than 60 percent of the problem would be solved,” he said. “This is a real challenge because children’s rights might be violated during arrests and interrogations,” said Mikhael, adding that 30 social workers have been designated by the ministry to ensure there will not be any violations. As the campaign continues to pull children off the streets and arrest adults involved, people who witness the phenomenon can report it by calling 1714. Beirut - The Daily star