Swedish anti-racism campaigners claim that in the last year and a half at least 76 attacks were carried out on migrants from the EU begging in Sweden, fueled by threats of violence made in online forums.

Around 30 forums have been set up in Sweden in the last year and a half where users post messages to incite violence against migrant beggars from EU countries, say Swedish anti-racism campaigners, who claim a link between the forums and increasing violence against migrants.

"Poor EU-migrants who come to Sweden to beg are exposed to violence and harassment and threats, while encouragements of violence against them occur in social media where they are dehumanized," said Anders Dalsbro, head of the anti-racism magazine Expo, which surveyed the comments made by tens of thousands of participants of internet forums.

Dalsbro warned of the consequences of exchanges on the internet which encourage violence against migrants, telling Swedish Radio News:

"If you actively dehumanize people and call them pests, cockroaches and vermin, chances are that it will ultimately legitimize acts of violence against these individuals."

According to the study by Expo, in the last 18 months at least 76 attacks have been carried out on migrant beggars in Sweden, mostly in the urban areas of Stockholm and Malmo. As well as physical assaults, the migrants have also been victims of arson attacks and verbal threats.

On Wednesday the Swedish government rejected calls to impose a ban on begging as a response to the growing number of EU migrants begging on the streets of Sweden.

According to a survey carried out by Swedish broadcaster SVT in April, the number of beggars from the EU is believed to have doubled in the last year to more than 4,000, mostly from Romania and Bulgaria.

Rather than a ban on begging, Justice and Migration Minister Morgan Johansson announced plans for new legislation to prevent people from profiting from begging, similar to legislation intended to prevent the industry in prostitution.