1st LD Writethru: Oslo to spend 2.2 mln USD to control begging, homelessness

The city government of the Norwegian capital will spent 15 million kroner (2.2 million U.S. dollars) on measures to crack down on homelessness and begging, leading newspaper Aftenposten reported Wednesday.

According to Oslo mayor Raymond Johansen, the city council will address eleven measures, including those that propose to put an end to illegal camps, improve toilet facilities, and increase security guards at subway, tram, and bus stops.

"We have received feedback that more people experience aggressive begging. Several have also complained about camps in forest areas. In 2016 alone, we cleared over 166 illegal camps," Johansen told Aftenposten.

He said the cases mainly included people with a background from Bulgaria and Romania.

According to NTB news agency, 10 million kroner will be used for maintenance and cleaning, while the municipality will also use about 4.5 million kroner to increase subsidies to the voluntary and non-profit organizations that operate emergency overnight accommodations.

Johansen added that the government and the police must also take significant responsibility.

One of the measures is to ask the government to take steps to amend the European Economic Area (EEA) regulations, so that registration is required for all visitors.

"In many countries, you must indicate where you will stay. The same rule states that one must be able to provide for themselves and not be a burden on the state. It is a matter of which regulations are to be prioritized," Johansen said. Endit