Begging was decriminalized in Belgium in 1993. Since then, beggars have not been considered criminals, but rather people in need of social assistance. The Council of State decided in 1997 that a municipality could not ban begging in the name of order and public peace.

Nevertheless, the past few years have seen attempts by some municipalities to adopt binding regulations that, in practice, make begging illegal. Their goal is clear: rather than fight poverty, they hunt the poorest.

Circumventing the law

The League of Human Rights (LDH) and the Solidarity Labor Struggles (LST) consider that the city of Namur, by adopting the June 26 decree "General regulations for begging in the territory of the city of Namur," has also tried to circumvent the law of the Council of State in a coarse and cynical way. Indeed, the city now prohibits begging within the limits of the city center but allows, under very restrictive conditions, begging in areas where there is absolutely no need to beg because of the low proportion of potential donors.

On August 29, LDH and LST introduced a proceeding for suspension and annulment of this decree before the Council of State in an attempt to invalidate this type of circumvention.

Fight poverty, not the poor

Like others before - Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Verviers and Liège – the city of Namur is attempting to introduce punitive measures under the guise of fighting against the disturbance of public order. These retrogressive measures identify beggars as a "social nuisance" in an unworthy and unfair way. They confuse – even intentionally – issues of safety, security and public order with cosmetic issues, and are enacted to protect consumers and tourists from the increasing poverty that is seen as a stain on cities.

You do not fight the poverty by assaulting the poorest. Some municipalities seem to have the unfortunate tendency to forget this.