英政府、路上生活者へのテント提供規制へ　野党や慈善団体が反発

【ロンドンＡＦＰ＝時事】英国で、路上生活者にテントを提供する慈善事業を規制しようとする動きが物議を醸している。（写真は英ロンドン中心部の路上生活者〈資料写真〉）
　同国では長年の高インフレに加え、住宅ローン金利や家賃の高騰によって生活費危機があおられ、路上生活者の数が急増している。
　スエラ・ブレーバーマン内相は４日、Ｘ（旧ツイッター）への投稿で、路上生活者が公道にテントを張ることによって生じる「迷惑や不快さ」に歯止めをかけたいと述べ、野党政治家や路上生活者を支援する慈善団体の怒りを買った。
　翌５日にはオリバー・ダウデン副首相がＢＢＣに対し、「テント村のようなものを出現させてはならず、だからこそ問題に対処する法案を検討している」と述べた。
　ブレーバーマン内相は、慈善団体によるテント配布が迷惑行為と見なされた場合に罰金を科す提案を掲載したフィナンシャル・タイムズ紙の記事を引用した。この法案については、政府の立法課題を示す７日の国王演説にも盛り込まれる見通し。
　英政府は２０２４年までにイングランドで路上生活者をなくすという目標を掲げているが、慈善団体は達成不可能だと警告している。
　野党・労働党のサディク・カーンロンドン市長はＸへの投稿で、保守党政権の態度は「思いやりに欠ける」とし、「テントを禁止してもホームレス問題の解決にはならない」と批判した。
　ヘリオット・ワット大学が７月に発表したイングランドの状況によると、２０２２年１１月の時点での路上生活者は前年比２６％増の３０６９人だった。また２１～２２年には２９万世帯が、住む家がないとして自治体に支援を求めたとされる。
　一方、ロンドン市議会が８月に発表した統計によると、今年４～６月の市内の路上生活者は３２７２人だった。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/11/07-16:51）

Britain's government on Sunday defended proposed legislation that aims to restrict charities from providing homeless people with tents, after facing fierce criticism.
There has been a sharp rise in the number of people sleeping on the streets with UK mortgage rates and rents soaring since decades-high inflation fuelled the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden told the BBC Sunday that the government was looking at legislation aimed at preventing tent cities.
We shouldn't allow these kind of tent cities and other things to spring up and that's why we are looking at the kind of legislation that might be necessary to address that, he said.
Britain's Home Secretary Suella Braverman sparked outrage from opposition politicians and homeless charities after she said Saturday that she wants to put a stop to the nuisance and distress caused by homeless people pitching tents on public streets.
We cannot allow our streets to be taken over by rows of tents occupied by people, many of them from abroad, living on the streets as a lifestyle choice, she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Braverman made the comments as she shared an article from the Financial Times about proposals to fine charities for handing out tents, if they are deemed to have caused a nuisance.
The potential legislation is due to be included in the King's Speech, which will set out the government's legislative agenda on Tuesday.
The UK government has set a target of ending rough sleeping in England by 2024, but housing charities have warned that target is unreachable.
The Mayor of London, Labour's Sadiq Khan, wrote on X that the Conservative government's attitude lacks compassion and is deeply depressing.
Banning tents will not solve homelessness, he wrote.
The Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman described the proposals as a new low for Braverman.
A report on homelessness published by the Heriot-Watt University in July said some 3,069 people were sleeping rough in England in November 2022 -- a 26 percent rise from the previous year.
The report said 290,000 eligible households sought help from local authorities on grounds of homelessness between 2021 and 2022.
And figures released in August by the London Assembly recorded 3,272 people sleeping rough in the capital between April and June 2023 -- nearly half of whom were on the streets for the first time, according to the report.
Let's make it clear: living on the streets is not a 'lifestyle choice' - it is a sign of failed government policy, Housing charity Shelter wrote on X.
Crisis, a homelessness charity, also rejected Braverman's proposals, warning that Britain doesn't have nearly enough affordable homes and rents are soaring, leaving people destitute and forced to sleep rough.