Ethiopia bans street begging by Syrians

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia is banning street begging by Syrian nationals who have startled people by showing up in growing numbers in recent months in major cities around hotels and mosques.

“We are now coordinating our security services to effectively ban Syrian citizens from begging. We have tolerated them for some time but we have now decided to ban the illegal practice. ... They are becoming a burden,” the deputy head of Ethiopia’s immigration office told The Associated Press on Friday.

Some 560 Syrians entered between mid-August and mid-December and the majority leave when their tourist visas expire, said the deputy, Yemane Gebremeskel.

While street begging is not illegal in Ethiopia — there is a large presence of children — the act of entering the country as a tourist and begging is, he said.

Nearly 120 other Syrians have applied for refugee status in the East African nation that hosts one of the world’s largest refugee populations, and they were provided with support equalling around $73.

“We gave them what we could afford but they are still begging,” Yemane said.

Many Ethiopians were baffled when the Syrians began appearing on the streets of the capital, Addis Ababa, displaying signs written in the local Amharic language appealing for help.

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