SVP motion recommended for acceptance: Government of Bern for a general ban on begging

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A cantonal uniform ban on begging increases legal certainty for both beggars and the rest of the population, as Bern’s governing council wrote in its response to a corresponding SVP proposal published on Monday. This would allow the canton to take more effective action against beggars.

The government council does not see the same need for action throughout the canton. However, the general situation remains difficult to predict and the current legal situation does not sufficiently cover the problematic aspects of begging, the government council writes.

There are also uncertainties because the regulations regarding begging are different in different regions of the canton. The canton of Bern lifted the cantonal ban on begging in 1991. However, individual municipalities such as the city of Biel, Bern and the municipality of Langnau in the Emmental have reintroduced their own begging bans.

The government council also noted that beggars are increasingly part of organized gangs that operate in mafia-like structures. It is important that the human trafficking that often accompanies it is combated.

The government council of Bern is considering a ban on begging, based on the model in the canton of Basel-Stadt. The ban must be proportionate and objective and spatially differentiated.

The motion submitted by the SVP calls on the government council to develop a cantonal ban on begging and submit it to the Grand Council. Parliament decides whether the motion is accepted or rejected. (SDA)

Source:Blick