192 beggars arrested in anti-vagrancy campaign

AMMAN — Since the launch of the anti-vagrancy campaign across the Kingdom on October 19, cadres from the Social Development Ministry’s Anti-Vagrancy Department have arrested 192 beggars, of which 92 were from the capital.

The Social Development Ministry launched the campaign in cooperation with the Public Security Directorate and the Greater Amman Municipality.

In a statement sent to The Jordan Times on Sunday, the ministry’s Spokesperson Ashraf Khreis pointed out that the number of juveniles caught in Amman reached 49, of whom 19 are females.

The number of those arrested in other governorates numbered 100, including adults and minors, he added.

Head of the Anti-Vagrancy Department Maher Kloub told The Jordan Times in a recent interview that amid the unprecedented crisis, awareness campaigns by the ministry have turned digital, noting that “the campaigns heavily lean on social media platforms and the media”.

Nearly 2,566 beggars have been arrested by anti-vagrancy cadres across the Kingdom since the beginning of 2020. Among the arrested, 1,690 were adults with a majority of women and 876 juveniles, most of whom are boys, Kloub said.

He pointed out that “the ministry will intensify its campaigns aimed at fighting and eliminating vagrancy across the Kingdom”.

The public can call the department’s hotline on 0798518274, which is designated for reporting vagrancy cases, according to the statement.