On Wednesday the police arrested more than 100 beggars, including 25 children of different nationalities,in a pre-dawn raid in a Riyadh .Besides, those arrested included 63 men and 38 women.
The police had to resort to a pre-dawn operation since the beggars would ran away during the day upon seeing a police car. The beggars live mainly in Salehiya and Manfouha districts. According to the police, those apprehended were people who often begged in the streets near traffic lights, malls, public parks and outside hospitals,according to the Riyadh police chief ,Maj.Gen.saud bin Hilal.
He said that,“On seeing the police cars, the beggars run away to escape from the security authorities and meet with serious road accidents.”
pointing out that those arrested were mainly expatriates from neighboring Arab countries.
It was alleged that some of the beggars had letters appealing for assistance for medical treatment, for artificial limbs and for help in purchasing medicines.
Begging increases in the Kingdom during the Haj season and during Ramadan when it is customary to give charity.
Under a program launched by the government, the expatriates are deported home, while Saudi beggars are sent to rehabilitation centers which are administered by the Ministry of Social Affairs.
According to the survey conducted by Unicef in 2007 found that up to 50 percent of child beggars in the Kingdom had entered the country with their parents.