Thinking Beyond 'Roma are only here to beg'

“When I grow up, I want to be a beggar. My dream in life is to be a beggar.”

Does your child say that? Have you heard other children say that? I’ve never heard a child voice such aspirations, and I am quite certain you haven’t either. And yet there are people who end up begging as a source of income.

One of the most frequent complaints I hear - often from Romanians living in the US and other countries in western Europe - is that Roma people migrate from Romania to other countries in western Europe and North America to beg.

I get it. It’s uncomfortable. But let’s dig deeper.

Nobody, and I mean absolutely nobody, does it for the fun of it (unless you are an actor preparing for a role or a writer trying to understand what the experience is really like). People who end up begging on the streets of Paris, Berlin, or various places in the U.S. do it because they have no other choice, no other sources of income to support their families, or because they believe they have no other choices. There are multiple reasons why they believe this to be the case.

When peoples like the Roma are systematically excluded for generations, their capacity to aspire, thrive, and imagine that they can have the same jobs and professions as other people from mainstream society is deeply affected. Additionally, the lack of educational and economic opportunities lead to very low expectations of what they can do with their lives.

Some Roma end up performing jobs that are part of the shadow economy: seasonal or daily jobs without any security, benefits, or stability. Some end up begging as a source of income. Needless to say, this is a universal phenomenon that extends across national, ethnic and religious boundaries.

It has little to do with people’s personal choices, since it’s not an individual aspiration or ideal for anyone’s life; it has to do with how a society works, systemic inequality, and how a particular society treats their most vulnerable and marginalized.

What usually happens in situations like this?

The people who are the most vulnerable and lacking in resources are the most criminalized and blamed. “They beg because they are lazy and don’t want to work.” Let me make this clear: begging is hard work. Those who do it are vulnerable, and it is emotionally draining to depend on the good will of others. Begging is not desirable work, but it’s not an easy job either.

What should be done?

Express empathy. Guide Roma in these situations towards services they can access. Volunteer with local organizations, churches, or NGOs to support them with concrete resources like food, clothes, access to schools for their children, and other services.

Support Roma-led initiatives and programs with concrete resources so they will have greater visibility and be able to educate the larger public on Roma history and the conditions in which Roma live today.

It’s easy and comfortable to comment from a superior point of view, to judge and assign blame from a place of privilege and safety. The more responsible, more difficult thing to do is to try to understand the bigger picture, to learn before you stereotype, and to offer your support.