Prizren, municipality with the largest number of beggars

The number of beggars along Prizren's streets is increasing from day to day. And with their treatment, the municipality has launched procedures for opening the daily centre. Officials say they will handle all cases, while families will be offered social assistance with the aim of preventing child extraction in the streets.

The Prizren city centre has been flooded by beggars. Their presence is also witnessed in cafes and religious objects and in the streets.

And their large number and citizens' concern have caused Prizren's municipality to think about treating children who are forced to seek charity. Labour and Social Management Director Fyza Kabashi tells Radio Kosovo that Prizren has the largest number of lesms in contrast with other municipalities in Kosovo, while expressing concern with their exploitation either by family or certain individuals.

“QPS after identification has been taken with the utmost seriousness in solving this problem. It has offered numerous services that exist according to laws for children's families, including police assistance, initial assessment of the case, individual and family advisory sessions, psychosocial, has offered the possibility of getting back to school, parental supervision, etc.”, Kabashi says.

Unfortunately, Kabashi said, most of them are not from Prizren's municipality, but have come from Kosovo municipalities, or Albania. Kabashi said that in addition to the QPS municipalities there are co-operation with various organisations that will help open the daily centre for treating beggars.

This year we've made legal planning for the creation of a day center, which will work 24 hours, handle cases. Every child seeker will be associated with the centre and offered all possible educational programs, attitudes, cleaning and food, in order to prevent him from staying on the street. This is also done so that children will not be influenced by their parents or by anyone who extends a helping hand. When the family sees children not bringing money, they may not even be allowed out on the street, he says.

The director of Labour and Social Management in Prizren municipality also mentions police shares in the removal of bayers, who says they have shown no results.