255 beggars arrested in Riyadh in first week of Ramadan

A Saudi man hands money to a woman begging outside a supermarket on a main street in the Saudi capital Riyadh, in this June 20, 2016 file photo. (AFP)

RIYADH: A total of 255 beggars — 56 men, 124 women and 75 children — were arrested in the capital during the first week of Ramadan.
Following Taraweeh prayers during the holy month, it is common to see groups of beggars pester motorists at traffic lights on the streets of Riyadh.
The police said the Saudi beggars arrested were handed over to the Ministry of Labor and Social Development for rehabilitation, while the others have been referred to the security committee against begging.
A police spokesman urged the public not to sympathize with these beggars or give them money.
Expatriate beggars are people who have violated local labor and residency regulations and continue to stay illegally in the Kingdom, according to the police.
Most crimes in the Kingdom are committed by illegal residents who have overstayed their visas, the spokesman said.
As a result, the government has intensified its campaign against such residents.