A new draft law passed by the UAE’s Federal National Council (FNC) will punish those found guilty of begging with three-months in jail and an AED 5,000 fine.
Those who are found to be physically capable of work and with sources of income will face stiffer penalties.
The law – which was passed by the FNC but still requires final approval – also will punish those found culpable of organising beggar “networks” will be imprisoned for no less than six months, in addition to a AED 100,000 fine.
Those found to have been forced into criminal begging groups will also face three months imprisonment and fines of AED 5,000, according to the law.
The law also will allow courts to confiscate money and proceeds from begging.
In 2017, the UAE’s Ministry of the Interior launched a programme to combat begging ahead of Ramadan, which led to the arrests of hundreds of individuals.
Earlier this year, police in Sharjah busted a ring of human traffickers alleged to have been bring special needs people to the UAE and deploying them as beggars in the emirate.
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