Sweden’s centre-right government and the far-right Sweden Democrats are considering a nationwide ban on begging, with Sweden Democrats leader Linda Lindberg telling a press conference on Monday, the 30th of September, that “it is… absolutely necessary”, reports Politico.
“Until the early 2010s, when many European Union (EU) citizens from other countries came to Sweden to beg, begging was rare in Sweden,” Lindberg said, adding that the problem has led to more systematic and widespread crime.
“We don’t think it is reasonable that people come across Europe to beg in front of our shops,” she said, adding that Sweden has had begging bans in the past.
A ban on begging was one of the original pre-election promises of the Sweden Democrats, which won a narrow majority in the 2022 national elections along with the country’s three ruling right-wing parties.
An investigator has reportedly been appointed to look into how such a ban could be implemented legally without violating international conventions and human rights, and the party intends to present its findings to the Swedish Parliament at the end of June 2025.
Some members of the opposition Liberal Party have announced that they will not vote in favour of the ban. However, Lindbergh is optimistic.
“I do not rule out that next summer we will have such a well prepared and balanced basis that other parties will also consider supporting it,” she said.
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Swedish government considers national ban on begging
