The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republika Srpska implements the national campaign “Stop begging”, the aim of which is to strengthen citizens’ awareness of children’s rights and the risks and consequences of child begging.
The Ministry of Interior announced that during the action, which will last until September 10 this year, a series of preventive and repressive activities will be organized, given that strengthening citizens’ awareness of this issue is a constant need and that begging is one of the most prevalent forms of economic exploitation of children.
“This negative phenomenon also results in the violation of other rights of the child, such as the rights to healthy upbringing, education, family life, health care, protection from any form of violence and many other rights,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Srpska pointed out.
The life and work of children on the street, their begging, regardless of whether it is under coercion or out of “necessity”, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the RS, is a consequence of the violation of the right to protection from any form of abuse, neglect and careless treatment.
“Begging must not and cannot be viewed as a ‘lifestyle’ or a ‘learned pattern of behaviour’,” they said.
In the first seven months of this year, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republika Srpska recorded 179 begging violations.
The Law on Public Order and Peace prescribes a fine in the amount of 200 to 800 BAM for persons who beg or induce others to beg, while a fine of 400 to 1,200 or imprisonment for up to 40 days, is prescribed for inducing minors, mentally ill persons or persons with developmental disabilities to beg.
