Cerșetori din România și Elveția Protestează Contra Noilor Regulate
Ambiguous claims and arguments, mixed with grammatical errors and repetitions, have emerged from the controversial new regulations in Switzerland. The debate includes a homeless man from Lausanne, four Romanian researchers from Roma community who settled in the area for years, as well as Luc Recordon former national councilor, Hélène Küng pastor and Véra Tchérémissinoff president of Opre Rrom organization. Their lawyer stated that the new law is violating fundamental rights such as personal freedom, economic freedom, expression freedom and opinion freedom, however, the Constitutional Court rejected these arguments emphasizing the economic dependency on begging is irrelevant in this legal context.
Judges concluded that the law does not affect the freedom of opinion and expression for complainants according to 24 Heures publication. They established that beggars will have enough alternatives. In relation with the argument regarding religious freedom restriction invoked by the former national councilor and pastor, the Court decided that new law won’t prevent offering financial aid to beggars. Judges mentioned that those who practice begging will have sufficient options to solicit donations in designated areas of canton.
A 38 year-old woman was arrested under charges of beating her minor children and making them beg for money, a situation which raises concerns about the new law’s implications on freedom of expression and religious practices. The Court rejected this interpretation as well clarifying that begging will remain allowed in most public spaces including city centers. However, with conditions, beggars can’t be “in immediate proximity” to schools, playgrounds, banks, post offices, ATMs, parking meters among others.
Furthermore, the Court concluded that begging is authorized in front of public units, residential and office buildings, museums, theaters and cinemas but not directly at their entrances. „The perimeter where begging is not permitted is thus very limited and clearly delimited”, the judges from Vaud’s Constitutional Court stated.
Pierre-Antoine Hildbrand, city councilor for security in Lausanne, welcomed the decision of the Constitutional Court saying “We hope that the law will be enacted soon. Although an appeal to the Federal Court remains possible, I hope that a stay of proceedings will not be granted.” The decision of Vaud’s Constitutional Court opens the way for the implementation of new laws on begging, considered by local authorities as necessary instrument to regulate this practice in public space.
In reaction to these developments, an elderly woman delivered what was described as an “impressive message” to Roma people asking “Until when will we beg?”
