Solving the problem of homeless people: Requires drastic intervention

(Baonghean) - For many years, in Vinh City and tourist destinations in the province, there has been a situation of vagrants and beggars clinging to tourists, causing discomfort and loss of aesthetics. Faced with this reality, the Provincial People's Committee recently issued Plan No. 206/KH-UBND to address the situation of vagrants in the province.

Things seen…

One morning at the coffee shop at 201 Nguyen Van Cu, Vinh City, it was quite crowded, a woman in her 50s, looking tired, came to each table and asked for money. According to her, her husband died early, she had to raise 3 children alone, the family was very poor. A few days ago, her son had a traffic accident, broke his thigh bone, and was being treated at the provincial hospital. If he did not have surgery, he would be disabled for life, but the family had no money. Many people heard that and felt sorry for her and gave her money. Some customers in the shop said that a few weeks ago, they met this woman, sometimes on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, sometimes on Le Hong Phong Street, also begging with a similar tone. Ms. Linh - a waitress at the shop said that every morning they were troubled by the appearance of too many beggars and street vendors "visiting". “They came to each table to ask for food, making many customers very uncomfortable. Some even carried children to gain sympathy from customers,” said Linh.

Beggars gathering in front of some temples on holidays is not an unfamiliar image.

At Quan Banh market (also known as Nghi Phu afternoon market), we met a man with both legs crippled, carrying a child, begging. A woman selling vegetables outside the market said: "This man begs at the market 2-3 days a week, some days his income is even higher than that of vendors like us."

As the political, economic, cultural and social center of the province, Vinh City is also the place with the largest concentration of homeless people - especially homeless beggars. From parks, coffee shops, intersections, markets, temples, etc., they spoil the urban beauty. In particular, streets with many shops such as Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Le Hong Phong, Le Loi, Phan Dinh Phung, Nguyen Van Cu, Tran Hung Dao, along the shore of Goong Lake, etc. are often places with large concentrations of beggars and street vendors. In addition to Vinh City, Cua Lo Town and some famous spiritual tourist destinations in the province such as Hoang Muoi Temple, Con Temple, etc., also have a lot of beggars, especially during the tourist season and festival season, creating a very shabby scene.

Need synchronous and drastic solutions

Last April, the Provincial People's Committee issued Plan No. 206/KH-UBND of the Provincial People's Committee on solving the situation of vagrants in the province. Accordingly, the goal is that every year 95% of vagrants in the province will be brought back to their families or sent to social protection facilities, so that by 2020, there will be no vagrants in the province. Vagrants are classified into 3 groups: the elderly, children, disabled people, people with fake disabilities (including accompanying people) who wander and beg; people with mental illness who wander; people who use sidewalks, streets, flower gardens, parks, wharves, bus stations, abandoned houses as places to eat and sleep.

Mr. Nguyen Dang Duong, Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the standing agency advising the Provincial People's Committee to issue Plan 206, said: "According to incomplete statistics, there are currently 111 beggars and mentally ill people wandering in the province. In recent years, the province has transferred 142 cases of beggars and mentally ill people wandering to other provinces; received 64 cases of Nghe An people who went to beg in other provinces; brought 78 people back to their families and 46 people to be cared for at social protection facilities. With Plan 206, this is the first time at the provincial level that the issue of homeless people has been seriously considered and discussed and a specific plan has been developed."

However, to complete the goals of Plan 206, it requires the synchronous and drastic participation of departments, branches and localities. In reality, to completely resolve the situation of homeless people, it requires close coordination between 3 parties: local authorities where homeless people operate, functional branches and local authorities where homeless people have permanent residence. Local authorities where homeless people operate need to strengthen the management of household registration, temporary residence and temporary absence registration procedures, and check boarding houses with homeless people to mobilize, advise and help them return home, return to their families and integrate into the community.

Relevant departments and sectors need to implement social security policies, encourage humanitarian and charitable organizations to support people in difficult circumstances, especially children from poor households, people with disabilities, lonely elderly people without shelter, provide vocational training, counseling, job referrals, help them not to wander around to make a living; investigate, detect, and strictly handle those who organize and incite others to wander around and beg. Local authorities where homeless people have permanent residence need to focus on economic development to create more jobs on the spot, and at the same time, widely propagate on mass media to raise people's awareness, highlight the role and obligations of parents and authorities at all levels in protecting and caring for the elderly and children.

In recent times, some localities have also done well in this issue, typically Dien Trung commune (Dien Chau). Previously, Dien Trung was the commune with the largest number of children dropping out of school to wander around to make a living, with approximately 30 children per year. However, since 2009, thanks to the joint efforts of the entire political system and the entire people, the situation of children dropping out of school and wandering around has basically ended. According to Mr. Le Cong Sau, Vice Chairman of Dien Trung Commune People's Committee, along with promoting the conversion of crop and livestock structures to develop the economy, the commune has stepped up propaganda to each family with wandering children, the Commune Policy Board coordinated with the Association for Promotion of Education to organize well campaigns on occasions such as International Children's Day (June 1), Mid-Autumn Festival, Lunar New Year, paying special attention to helping children with special difficulties and no one to rely on... Therefore, the number of children dropping out of school to wander around to make a living has decreased significantly, many children who used to wander around have now returned to school. I think that is a model for many other localities to learn from.

Minh Quan