Legislation to completely outlaw begging is being pushed for by the Finnish Minister of the Interior, Anne Holmlund.

The National Coalition Party member has adopted the strong stance on public begging following the failure of previous working groups to translate recommendations into law.

In 2008, a number of recommendations on how to effectively manage street beggars were put forward by a government-appointed working group, but these failed to result in a law against panhandling. “However, now it seems that we also need legislative changes,” said Holmlund in an address to high-ranking Helsinki Police officers this week.

“Begging is not illegal under current legislation. However, it is possible to intervene if it causes a disturbance. Begging can involve issues such as the exploitation of children or characteristics linked with human trafficking when people are forced to beg. In such cases the matter is much more serious,” claimed Holmlund in a report by Helsingin Sanomat.

The Ministry of the Interior also said that begging has taken on a more aggressive, threatening approach in recent years and that more criminality is now involved.

A study by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) revealed that in the past year, links between beggars and human traffickers from Romania have become apparent. Any new legislation, however, would be aimed at punishing the syndicate rather than the individual.

Helsinki has seen an influx of beggars on its streets since the start of 2007 when the European Union admitted Bulgaria and Romania. Many are asylum seeking Roma who have been refused refuge in Finland as their homelands are deemed to be safe.

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