РУССКИЙ
11:01 13.06.2025 •
Rough sleeping will no longer be a crime in the UK as the government abolishes a ‘cruel’ 200-year-old law.
The Vagrancy Act 1824 was introduced amid a spiralling homelessness crisis after the Industrial Revolution.
On any given night last autumn, 4,667 people were sleeping rough, a 164% increase from 2010, according to official figures.
In 2023, 298 people were convicted under the act.
Over 12,000 people were convicted under the 200-year-old legislation from 2013 to 2023.
The Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the decision was ‘drawing a line under nearly two centuries of injustice towards some of the most vulnerable in society’.
She added: ‘No one should ever be criminalised simply for sleeping rough and by scrapping this cruel and outdated law, we are making sure that can never happen again.’
Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis called the move a ‘landmark moment’ that would ‘prevent thousands of people from being pushed into the shadows, away from safety.’
He went on: ‘For 200 years, the Vagrancy Act has meant that people who are homeless are treated as criminals and second-class citizens. It has punished people for trying to stay safe and done nothing to address why people become homeless in the first place.
‘Ending the use of the Vagrancy Act recognises a shameful history of persecuting people for poverty and destitution, something that figures like William Wilberforce and Winston Churchill warned against in their opposition to the Act.’
The Government has confirmed it will repeal the outdated Vagrancy Act 1824 by Spring next year, to ensure rough sleeping is no longer a criminal offence.
Over 12,000 people were convicted under the ‘cruel’ 200-year-old law from 2013 to 2023.
Photo: AFP
After 200 years, rough sleeping will no longer be a crime as the Government confirms it will formally scrap the Vagrancy Act by Spring next year.
The Act was introduced in 1824 – towards the end of the Georgian era - to deal with rising homelessness which increased after the Napoleonic Wars and Industrial Revolution.
While use of the Act against rough sleeping has significantly declined over the years in line with modern attitudes and greater understanding around the causes of homelessness, it remains enforceable in law.
The Government will be repealing the Act to ensure rough sleeping is no longer a criminal offence.
The Deputy Prime Minister is also developing a new homelessness strategy with other government departments and mayors and councils who all play an important role in prevention and frontline support. This strategy will be published later this year.
…Poverty in Britain has reached such proportions that homeless people are allowed to sleep on the streets of cities. It is easier for the authorities than to spend money on policing or building shelters for the poor.
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