Senegal beggar ban

In August, under pressure from international human rights groups and various foreign governments over human trafficking violations, the Senegalese government began enforcing a 2005 law against using children to beg on city streets.

Traditionally, most of the Islamic schools for boys are supported by donations from the faithful, but in the big cities the practice has been used by some teachers for personal gain. The forced begging involves an estimated 50,000 children, some as young as five years old, who are required by their marabouts (Islamic teachers) to bring back alms each day.

Thousands of children were rounded up and given warnings in September and October. Seven marabouts were arrested; each received a suspended sentence and was fined $200.