Voters’ attitude to begging – quite different parties – Swedish Dagbladet

begging man on Drottninggatan in Stockholm. Photo: Lars Pehrson

Among the parliamentary parties are support for a ban begging weak. Only Sweden Democrats want to see a completely banning begging, while the Moderates and the Christian Democrats want to give municipalities the opportunity to introduce local bans. Several of the other parties want different ways to see tougher measures against beggars.

At the electorate’s attitudes sharper. Here is a clear predominance of a begging ban, according to a new survey by Sifo done SvD’s behalf.

According to the survey want half of Swedes that begging is prohibited. 27 percent are against a ban, and others say they do not have a definite opinion on the matter. The differences are not significant between the populations of large cities and the rest of the electorate. Even if you compare the sex and age occurs much difference, except that the men somewhat greater extent want to see a begging ban, while women aged 18-29 years is the group where the view has the least support.

it is rare to see such large differences between the parties.

the differences are more greater when it comes to voters party sympathies.

At least support for the introduction of a begging ban include the Left party and the Green party sympathizers. Only 7-8 percent of sympathizers want to see a ban. On the other hand, the Sweden Democrats – where 94 per cent want to see a begging ban. The second largest aid proposal among moderate supporters, 70 percent want to see a ban.

– It’s rare to see such large differences between the political parties, says Toivo Sjörén head of the Sifo polling.

Half of Swedes want to ban begging – but the differences when it comes to the portion sympathy is large. Photo: SvD

The dividing line between the blocks is clear. A majority of the bourgeois voters want to see a begging ban, while only a quarter of the people who sympathize with the Left Party, the Green Party or the Social Democrats are for a ban.

Since taking power in 2014, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven (S) gradually tightened tone on begging, but the government has always opposed a ban. Minister responsible, children, the elderly, and Gender Åsa Regnér (S), said that the main solution to the problem is to change the situation of beggars home countries.

– Since we took office, we have worked intensively with the issue, including by concluding agreements with countries of origin to promote long-term work, says Åsa Regnér to SvD.

How do you interpret that support for a ban is so great?

– I know that many people are very concerned about the situation. I think that the figures reflect a frustration over the situation.

Åsa Regnér highlights the inquiry which the government launched last year with the aim of making it easier to evict beggars from unauthorized settlements. She says delegations from Romania and Bulgaria in a month come to Sweden to discuss the situation.

– We are working on several channels, she said.

For voters might it can be hard to understand how agreements between countries to solve the begging problem. What do you answer then?

– There is also ongoing cooperation with the European Commission to improve the inclusion of Roma. We will come back with more action.

But it is up to each individual to decide whether to donate or not.

the government’s coordinator Martin Valfridsson released in February an investigation into begging with suggestions. The task was not to examine the consequences of a begging ban. Valfridsson same time invited to refrain from giving money to beggars – which is in line with what Asa Regnér yourself think. She thinks it’s better to donate to charities.

– But it is up to each individual to decide whether to donate or not, she says.

the survey was carried out between 14 and 16 April in the form of online interviews with random panels. The question asked was: “Do you think it should introduce a ban on begging or do not you think?” 1 360 people responded to the survey.

What is it?

• Several estimates show that nearly 5,000 beggars are in Sweden. The Sweden Democrats are the only parliamentary party that want to completely ban “who traveled here beggars”. A number of municipalities have requested the ability to introduce local bans, which the Moderates and the Christian Democrats want to make possible.
• The government’s stance is that the problem mainly be countered by efforts in the beggars’ home countries, Romania and Bulgaria. Last fall, a commission was appointed last May 30 to give suggestions on how to make it easier to evict beggars from unauthorized settlements, which many landowners demanded.
• The former S leader and Prime Minister Goran Persson said in a acclaimed interview with Svenska Dagbladet in March that he wanted to see a begging ban in Sweden.