Swedish town introduces licence for beggars - Corbis News

Beggars in a Swedish town will have to a permit before being allowed to panhandle for money.

The scheme, the first of its kind in the country, has been introduced in Eskilstuna, a town of nearly 70,000 inhabitants about 90 miles west of Stockholm.

Costing 250 Swedish Kroner (£21), the permit will be valid for three months and is available online. Unlicenced beggars can be fined up to SEK 4,000 (£342).

The scheme was approved by the city council in June 2018. Backed by the majority Social Democrat, Moderate and Centre coalition, it was opposed by the Left Party, Green Party, Liberals and Christian Democrats.

Begging in Sweden has been a subject of political controversy for years, with some calling for a nationwide ban.

Female beggar from former eastern Europe in Malmo street Credit: Francis Dean/Corbis Historical

In February last year, the council in Vellinge in southern Sweden voted for an outright prohibition. But the move, which was heavily criticised by human rights groups, was overturned by the courts.

Sweden’s government has been examining legislation making it illegal to profit from begging. It was aimed at groups which have been exploiting vulnerable people.

The licencing scheme was a compromise. However, it took more than a year of legal wrangling before the initiative could come into force.

Jimmy Jansson, a Social Democrat local councillor in Eskilstuna, said the law would help the vulnerable and homeless by bringing them into closer contact with the authorities and social services.

“We’ll see where this goes,” he said.

“This is not about harassing vulnerable people but trying to address the bigger question: whether we think begging should be normalised within the Swedish welfare model,” Mr Jannson told the Aftonbladet newspaper.

“I hear a lot of criticism of any attempts to regulate begging, but I don’t see the same strength and energy directed at the fact that people are forced to beg in the first place.”

Some beggars have tried to sidestep the licensing scheme by selling blueberries.

So far, according to the state broadcaster SVT, eight applications have been received and three other unlicensed beggars have been moved on by the police.