Through working with departments and agencies on solutions to strengthen state management to prevent the occurrence of homelessness, begging, child exploitation, and child labor, the Ho Chi Minh City Culture and Social Affairs Committee assessed that Ho Chi Minh City has focused on directing agencies and units to implement Decision No. 812 of 2023 of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee on the regulations for coordinating the gathering of children, homeless beggars, and other subjects requiring urgent protection.
In recent times, despite intensified efforts by local authorities, the number of homeless and begging individuals has decreased only slightly, and in many areas, it has even increased. This indicates that the solutions implemented so far are not strong enough.
"Ho Chi Minh City needs to announce and standardize a number of hotlines for receiving information related to the situation of children and homeless beggars, and have a mechanism for processing information accurately and promptly. Currently, when a person walking on the street sees a homeless person or beggar, they don't know which phone number to contact. We can place banners with the hotline number on main roads and intersections so that people can see it," said Mr. Cao Thanh Binh.
Homeless and beggars in Phu Nhuan District are being gathered for residency verification.
In parallel, Mr. Cao Thanh Binh suggested that Ho Chi Minh City needs to strengthen investigations and strictly and thoroughly punish those who exploit the labor of children, the elderly, and people with disabilities for personal gain.
"The majority of cases are released from social welfare facilities after being released. Therefore, there must be professional measures to monitor these cases after they return to their localities, such as whether the families are caring for the children or using them for begging. Ho Chi Minh City also needs to be bold in handling and prosecuting criminal responsibility for cases of child trafficking," Mr. Cao Thanh Binh emphasized.
Regarding policy, Mr. Cao Thanh Binh suggested that it is necessary to supplement regulations, assign responsibilities, and establish stricter procedures, for example, specifying the timeframe within which local authorities must handle a report. Ho Chi Minh City needs to hold local leaders accountable if they fail to effectively manage their areas.
Authorities also mentioned that homeless people and beggars move through many areas, so Mr. Cao Thanh Binh suggested that Ho Chi Minh City needs to study a common communication channel so that the entire system can identify and monitor them, avoiding the situation of "catching and releasing." At the same time, coordination with neighboring provinces and cities is necessary to pay closer attention to and manage them more strictly.
In the long term, Mr. Cao Thanh Binh believes that a sustainable social security system must be perfected, and policies and regulations regarding care and vocational training for homeless and beggars must be considered when social welfare facilities take them in. Ho Chi Minh City has already established a Social Security Fund, so it is entirely possible to believe that many solutions for timely care and support will be implemented in the future.
"From the perspective of a member of the People's Council, we will continue to monitor, strengthen supervision, and urge the implementation of this work," said Mr. Cao Thanh Binh.
An elderly homeless beggar at the corner of To Ngoc Van and Pham Van Dong streets (Linh Tay Ward) was taken into custody by the Thu Duc City task force and brought to the ward.
Ms. Nguyen Thanh Phung, Head of the Social Protection Department (Ho Chi Minh City Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs), said that the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs advises the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to direct localities to strengthen management and concentrate homeless and begging people in the area.
According to Ms. Phung, to effectively manage and concentrate homeless and begging people, the following key solutions should be considered: Firstly, establish a channel for receiving reports about homeless and begging people in the area, and communicate to discourage giving money to beggars directly.
Secondly, the role of each district, county, and Thu Duc City in strengthening local management or coordinating with neighboring areas on this matter is crucial. Local authorities need to review residential areas with a high concentration of temporary residents (especially the elderly, children, and people with disabilities) and closely coordinate with the Ho Chi Minh City Police to promptly detect and prevent individuals who exploit vulnerable people for begging. Simultaneously, local authorities must implement solutions to help and provide employment opportunities for disadvantaged individuals to improve their lives and become self-reliant.
Thirdly, functional units, People's Council representatives, and National Assembly representatives should strengthen inspection and supervision to know whether localities are implementing the plan decisively and to what extent, in order to provide timely solutions. In addition, the People's Committees of districts, counties, and Thu Duc City also need to develop and implement plans for quarterly and ad-hoc inspections and supervision of the implementation of Decision No. 812 of 2023 of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee at the ward, commune, and town levels.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pham Dinh Nghinh, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Association for the Protection of Children's Rights, believes that it is very difficult to completely resolve the issue of homelessness and begging, especially given the location, scale, and unique characteristics of Ho Chi Minh City. Instead, Ho Chi Minh City could consider implementing solutions to minimize the number of homeless people and beggars, particularly children.
"Under any circumstances, children are always a group that needs special attention and protection. Many large cities around the world still have homeless people and beggars, but there are very few or almost no children. But this is the opposite of the reality in our city, where children are the majority. It's time we need more practical, decisive, and specific solutions to fundamentally address the issue of homeless people and beggars, especially children," Mr. Nghinh stated.
More decisive and specific solutions are needed to definitively address the problem of street children begging. (In the photo: Children spitting fire and begging on Bui Vien Street (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City))
According to Mr. Nghinh, addressing the issue of homeless beggars cannot be solely the responsibility of one agency, one level, or one sector, but requires the connection and coordination of many relevant parties.
"We also cannot simply place all the blame on local authorities if we haven't fundamentally and adequately addressed the issues of personnel, support policies, and procedures for dealing with homeless beggars," Mr. Nghinh emphasized.
In parallel, Mr. Nghinh also argued that the root cause of the problem of homeless beggars stems from poverty or the exploitation of the elderly and children for profit. Therefore, specific solutions are needed for each problem.
Regarding causes stemming from poverty, natural disasters, poor health, unemployment, etc., in addition to implementing current subsidy policies, Ho Chi Minh City needs to further promote the establishment of social work service centers, both public and private. Simultaneously, consideration should be given to restructuring and improving existing social welfare facilities to expand their functions and reach to support the community.
"In unfortunate circumstances, vulnerable groups will be provided with the most efficient and effective support services possible (providing meals, temporary accommodation, long-term care and support, education, vocational training, and employment opportunities). Regarding the exploitation of the elderly and children for begging, state agencies at all levels need to coordinate with the police to investigate and strictly punish offenders. This should be done regularly and continuously, not just during holidays or special anniversaries," Mr. Nghinh stated.
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