Begging in Kosovo and its Impact on People's Safety 13 pages, pdf  Download Back

Begging in Kosovo and its Impact on People's Safety

Publisher: Conflict Prevention Forum, Kosovo

Date: January 2014

Volume: 13 pages, pdf


Description

In December 2013, AKTIV, FIQ, and seven local partner organizations in Kosovo organized a series of community dialogue meetings to examine the issue of begging and the effect it has on people's safety, and their perception of their safety. Begging has been recognized as a problem to varying degrees within Kosovo and this research project, implemented by Saferworld and partners, explores who beggars are perceived to be, how their actions affect communities, and how government and non-government actors are engaging with the issue. This report shows that beggars are the most vulnerable in society as no official safety net exists to support them. They include the poor, vulnerable adults with addictions, people suffering from disabilities and mental illnesses, and perhaps most worryingly children who have been trafficked. Within a complex environment such as Kosovo these already vulnerable groups are exposed to additional hostility if they arrive from neighboring or regional countries. The situation is compounded by the adverse economic environment that has led to increased levels of unemployment. From the research the Conflict Prevention Forum has compiled recommendations for the government, local municipalities, civil society actors, and the Kosovo Police, including: examining and tackling the root causes of begging, including ethnic discrimination; ensuring the inclusion of socially marginalized children in the education system while effectively managing outreach to their families; establishing organizations that can work together to eradicate begging; investigating forced labour and the economic exploitation of children, as part of a wider investigation into human trafficking.