Nearly 2,500 homeless individuals have been arrested in England and Wales under the 200-year-old Vagrancy Act in the past five years. The act, originating in 1824 to tackle post-war rough sleepers, criminalizes rough sleeping, allowing the police to prosecute and detain homeless individuals found begging in public.
The government faces backlash over plans to criminalize homelessness. The proposed Criminal Justice Bill empowers police to fine nuisance rough sleepers, defined broadly to include noise and smell disturbances. Sleeping rough resulting in damage, distress, or health risks could lead to criminal charges, with non-compliance risking up to a month in prison.
Since the government's announcement to repeal the Vagrancy Act, an additional 469 homeless people have been arrested. The move to repeal comes amid a substantial increase in rough sleepers, with 3,898 estimated in 2023, up by 27% from the previous year according to official statistics.
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