On Wednesday, the Progress Party (Frp) will go to the Oslo City Council top propose a ban on begging in the capital.
‘The beggars, especially from Eastern Europe, are increasing both in numbers and scope. There was a slight decline as a result of the Brennpunkt documentary, Lykkelandet, about the begging situation in Bergen, which showed very clearly that organized crime follows the begging.
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‘This makes the debate more relevant than ever’, said the City Governor, Peter N. Myhre (Frp), to Vårt Land newspaper.
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For this reason, he and party colleagues, Carl Hagen, and Tommy Skjervold have suggested that begging be banned in Oslo. The proposal will be raised in Wednesday’s meeting of the city council.
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In the case papers, they refer both to the NRK documentary, and to a letter from the district director in Nordstrand, which was sent to the City Environmental Office, and a number of city councils in Oslo municipality in April.
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The letter describes increasing occupation of, and use of outdoor areas in the district as accommodation, with particular concern for areas used by kindergartens.
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‘In the budget proposal, for the first time, millions were allocated to clean up after beggars. There are certainly hundreds of better purposes to which so much money could be put’, said Myhre.
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He emphasized that the state has given a clear signal that the municipalities themselves should be able to introduce a ban on begging.
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‘It takes a lot of effort to get the proposal through into law, but I think it’s going to happen one day. At the same time, it is important for the opposition to mark its policy, and that we understand which parties are for, and which are against, a begging ban’, he said.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
