The persecution of the homeless

“I did nothing wrong. Why are you sending me to prison?” This was the heartfelt cry of a relatively young homeless man as the magistrate sentenced him to two months in prison – for the simple fact that he was homeless.

“I never stole anything. I never even begged in the streets. I am homeless. Do you think I’m happy about that? Do you think I enjoy sleeping outside in summer and winter, in sweltering heat or freezing rain?”

John* was speaking to me, recounting his experience in court and the prison sentence that followed. He continued:

“I have nowhere to sleep. Instead of offering me shelter, the state took away my freedom and condemned me to prison. Those who say that, at least, I had regular food and a room during those two months know nothing about prison life. The loss of freedom, combined with the injustice of being sent to prison, ruins a person.”

John is one of Malta’s growing number of homeless individuals. Alongside many others, he has been targeted by a recent wave of police action that, over the past five months, has come down on the homeless like a ton of bricks.

Consider the sudden and concentrated crackdown, as evidenced by headlines from the Times of Malta:

• June 4: Twelve arraigned after raid targeting Qormi supermarket beggars. Those arrested were sleeping in makeshift shelters or behind containers.

• June 23: Thirteen homeless people sentenced to detention for vagrancy and begging. Court urges government support after sentencing.

• September 10: Police arrest 28 in raids on homeless across four towns.

• September 11: Fifteen people charged with homelessness in chaotic court sitting.

• October 27: Homeless man jailed after being found asleep on a Sliema bench with bags of bottles.

The police and the courts, it must be said, are not acting arbitrarily. In Malta, it is illegal to live a life described by those living comfortably as idle and vagrant life or to beg in public. As a result, homeless individuals –regardless of the personal tragedies that led to their situation and despite the fact that homelessness is rarely a freely chosen condition – are sent to prison.

A cruel law, if ever there was one.

Why has this strong-arm attitude emerged so suddenly? Why are the

authorities strong with the weak and weak with the strong? Was someone directing the police to take action, to prove that something was being done?

These questions deserve answers because what has happened is not the norm. Anthony Camilleri, who heads YMCA Malta, told Times of Malta that the arraignments are “a big shock”, noting that such an approach is “almost unprecedented” in his 20 years of service. He explained that the usual practice is not to arrest but for the police to either ask homeless individuals to move on or to inform them of available services.

Criminalising homelessness does not address its root causes- Fr Joe Borg

Truth be told, telling someone to “move on” is no solution – but it is better than arrest and imprisonment.

“I was asleep when a policeman woke me up and told me to move on,” John said. “I did and slept somewhere else. He followed me a few more times. Every time I told him this was pointless. I had to sleep somewhere.”

Does arresting the homeless and sending them to prison solve the problem – or worsen it?

Following the shocking arraignments in June, NGOs working with the homeless told the press that many individuals went underground. This made it far more difficult for social workers to locate and assist them. Moreover, a review of newspaper reports reveals that many of those charged are repeat offenders. There is a reason for this, as John explained:

“When I finished my prison sentence, the authorities provided temporary shelter. I could stay there for a few weeks. But isn’t it obvious that, after those weeks, I would still be homeless and back on the streets?”

Homelessness is a harsh and inhumane way to live. Just imagine how you would feel if you had no place to rest, no space to build a family, no access to basic hygiene. How do you wash yourself, use the bathroom, protect yourself from the elements? And, as John explained, while asleep, you are exposed to violence, theft and other forms of abuse.

Homelessness is not embraced through a free and informed decision. It is imposed by circumstance. It is a complex and growing crisis, shaped by a web of economic, social and personal factors. In many cases, it results from the lack of affordable housing. Some people are simply priced out of stable accommodation.

Family conflict, domestic violence and relationship breakdowns are other major causes. John became homeless due to family reasons. Being homeless means not having a fixed address and, without one, you cannot renew your identity card. Without an ID card, you cannot find employment. Unemployment and underemployment are other key contributors to homelessness.

Mental health issues and substance dependency further complicate the picture, often leading to job loss, family breakdown and social isolation.

In Malta, care for the homeless is provided by a network of government agencies, Church-based organisations and NGOs offering shelter, support and rehabilitation. Social workers in the field do admirable work but their efforts are not enough. The demand far exceeds the resources available.

What is needed is not punishment but compassion and policy reform.

Criminalising homelessness does not address its root causes. It merely shifts the problem from the streets to the prison system, where it festers. The cycle continues and the individuals caught in it are further dehumanised.

I do not claim to have the solution to this complex problem. But I am civilised and humane enough to vehemently state that sending people to prison because they are homeless is not a solution. It is a cruel and misguided strategy that betrays our shared humanity.

(*Name changed to protect identity.)