Police in Timișoara, Romania, have removed more than 300 beggars and homeless people from the city’s streets so far this year, according to local authorities.
Officers say most of those removed are not regular residents but travel to Timișoara specifically to beg during the summer season.
Police have described a range of tactics used to solicit money. Some individuals carry signs claiming to raise funds for sick relatives, while others use wheelchairs despite having no medical condition that justifies it, according to police checks. Officers have also encountered people in advanced physical deterioration due to alcohol.
Authorities have urged residents not to give money to people begging on pavements, arguing the practice does not address underlying problems and keeps people on the streets. Police added that many of those encountered refuse places in shelters and decline to participate in reintegration programs or seek employment.
Officers say they will continue identification and transfer operations to social centers in the coming weeks, and are asking the public who witness begging or extreme vulnerability to alert the relevant services rather than offering improvised charity.
