It is not difficult for the interested observer to become convinced of the (swelling of begging). I used this strong rhetorical expression, as a metaphor, to describe the spread of the begging phenomenon.
It is concerning that begging has become a means to wealth, through deception, and not to satisfy the needs of the hungry.
Begging is considered a negative phenomenon and reveals many imbalances. If begging is a result of poverty, this indicates that the society is disordered and its economic and social status is unhealthy.
If begging is deceitful and a means to wealth, this indicates a lack of monitoring and shows that the penalties are not deterrent.
Begging is no longer a means to seek sustenance for a needy hungry person, not at all. In fact, the vast majority of needy families are dignified and do not resort to begging.
No one denies the efforts of the responsible agencies to reduce the phenomenon of begging, not at all. The evidence of the efforts made is plentiful, and with numbers, where the number of campaigns to arrest beggars reached large numbers, and these campaigns resulted in the arrest of (9,696) beggars during the campaigns of the year 2025. The evidence of the continuation of this malfunction and its increase is represented in the annual increase in the number of beggars arrested, for example, the number of those who were arrested in 2024 was (7,453), an increase of about (33%) in 2025 compared to 2024. This rate is a shocking increase.
Despite the ongoing official efforts to combat the phenomenon of begging, we notice that the increase is steady and continually rising, and this requires, as I believe, devising new solutions, and setting mechanisms for monitoring and follow-up to limit the spread of this negative, officially and popularly rejected phenomenon. Therefore, new monitoring and follow-up mechanisms must be put in place that are suitable and expose the deceitful methods used by beggars.
We all see at traffic lights, young men and women in full health and vigor, most of the youth in their twenties, muscular, each carrying a water bottle, or a box of tissues, or a red rose, or a simple bouquet of flowers, invading your privacy, knocking on your car window, using all means of pleading, urging you to buy a box of tissues or the like, claiming that they are earning their living from it. We also see that they started to invade and enter shops, barber salons, and even banks, carrying just one cheap item, to cover for their begging.
About two decades ago, a daring young Jordanian journalist planned to infiltrate the world of begging, and he succeeded brilliantly, monitored all his observations, and I believe he spent several months living among them as one of them. When he published his observations, I remember he discovered that the world of begging had reached a professional level, and is considered a business activity, with offices, directors, officials, representatives, and transportations moving beggars, as he proved that there is control among beggars on beggars, and begging areas are distributed among the major beggars, among other things. He also revealed about a beggar owning two adjacent villas in Medical City Street. The journalist confirmed that he entered those villas, saw the luxurious decorations, the luxurious cars, and the high standard of living.
If we do not combat the phenomenon of begging seriously and advance in proportion to the change in its methods, it is certain that in the years to come, we will reach the methods of begging that extend to kidnappings of children, and disfiguring them with a permanent disability, to keep them beggars for life.
I also remember a senior beggar who lived in a room unfit for human habitation, lived alone, without a wife, and without children, was known in his residential area, and when no one saw him for days, they discovered that he had died in his room, and the surprise was that they found he had a lot of money hidden in (sacks), and the amount reached hundreds of thousands of dinars, even some of the currency denominations had been discontinued for decades.
I listened to an episode from the program of the committed and respected journalist, Mr. Amer Al-Rajoub, about begging, and I relay what Mr. Riad Arabiyat, director of the Begging Control Unit at the Ministry of Social Development, said during the meeting, where he stated:— (("Begging has become a profession, and it has no relation to poverty and need")). He also stated that begging has become various types, including: digital begging, begging in front of mosques, inside them, and begging by claiming to purchase expensive medicine. The beggar would be in agreement with a pharmacy, and to convince the donor, they take him to the pharmacy, and ask the pharmacist about the need for a particular type of expensive medicine, and the pharmacist confirms its validity, resulting in an increase in the pharmacy's sales, and the beggar gets a percentage of the price paid by the pharmacist. Mr. Riad also advised that their campaigns focus on what is called (The "Employer"), that is, the one who employs the beggar. He advised that upon arresting the Employer, a human trafficking charge is directed, and he is referred to the judiciary. Mr. Riad added that some university students of Asian origins beg and spend on themselves, pay university fees, and transfer non-negligible amounts to their families in their homelands. Imagine to what extent begging has reached in our beloved country? Mr. Riad also pointed to the intensity of the campaigns to counter this uncivilized phenomenon and announced that (1,650) campaigns were carried out during the first four months of this year. He revealed an essential piece of information indicating that the repetition rate among beggars reaches (85%).
Our noble religion rejects begging and forbids it. Begging is also socially frowned upon. However, the phenomenon is increasing, with a noticeable spread, and beggars are able to devise shocking methods to convince people to donate to them, and we are in the spring season, and summer is coming. I believe that those who have professionalized begging, and have taken it up as a profession, are prepared, and renewing their methods to deceive people, urging them to make misplaced donations, hence they do not earn any benefactions, as what they provide is not a benefaction, and they help in the spread of a bad phenomenon, which harms the homeland and the citizens. Therefore, it is necessary to devise effective and new monitoring methods to preclude their opportunities, to limit the swelling of begging and its spread, as it is an underdeveloped and bad phenomenon that harms the homeland and distorts its image.
