Govt to look into cases of Saudi beggars

More than 39,000 beggars, 18 percent of whom were Saudis, were tracked down in the past two years, local media said, quoting anti-beggary office of the Ministry of Social Affairs.
The anti-beggary office was examining the cases of Saudi beggars and was trying to ascertain why they had resorted to begging, and accordingly, direct them to the centers of services provided by government agencies, said the annual report of the Ministry of Social Affairs.
The ministry’s responsibility is limited to handling the Saudi beggars while the foreign beggars are deported by the Ministry of Interior, the report said.
Besides issues related to beggars, the anti-beggary office is responsible for studying the social cases of citizens, and taking up their cases with their natural or alternative families, the report said.
According to the report, a majority of the beggars who were arrested in the last eight years were foreigners, comprising about 80 percent, while Saudis accounted for about 20 percent.
Begging increases during Haj and Umrah seasons, particularly at holy sites in Makkah and Madinah frequented by visitors, and their activity peaks during the month of Ramadan, the report said.