Bali is so sick of ‘begpackers’ it is now reporting them to their embassies

For years “begpackers” have been asking for money off strangers to help fund their travels. Now they could face trouble in this tourist mecca.

For years backpackers who run out of money while halfway around the world have been spotted begging in the street to get people to fund their travels.

These so called “begpackers” often face huge backlash, but now the island of Bali is officially cracking down on the problematic “tourists”.

In an official statement, Setyo Budiwardoyo from the island’s immigration department has said these begpackers are now being reported to their embassies, according to Detik, as caring for them should be the embassy’s responsibility.

He said: “We have seen many cases of problematic tourists, lately they are either Australian, British or Russian.

There's been a rise in begpackers around the world.

“We tend to report these cases to the relevant embassies so that they can oversee their citizens who are on holiday.”

The immigration official said while Bali had previously looked after these travellers, the cost of living must now be borne by their respective embassies.

Some begpackers also sell things to raise money. Picture: Twitter

However, it’s unlikely they will face further action unless they’ve been involved in criminal acts, in which case they could be deported and banned from the country.

Bali is among one of the most popular destinations for backpackers.

While most visitors are genuine tourists, some have been accused of scrounging off their host nation.

Locals and tourists alike have shared photos of the travellers, who are often seen begging for money or selling wares on the street to fund their holidays, hence the moniker of begpackers.

They often come from wealthier Western nations and beg in relatively poor countries like Bali.

The travellers are often seen begging in the streets. Picture: Twitter/Kaisu

Some are even shamelessly asking for money while posing with cameras worth hundreds.

Some have even been accused of running scams by pretending to have lost their debit card and needing money to get home — only to carry on travelling with the money they make.

Thailand has also cracked down on begpackers in recent years.

Sun Online Travel previously reported how tourists were being asked to show £455 ($A815) in cash to prove they can fund their travels.

But Asian countries aren’t the only ones affected — one German couple travelling around New Zealand tried to rely entirely on the kindness of others.

T his article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission