Beggars in Shenzhen may be offered a chance to upgrade their education or a one-way ticket back to their home village.

The proposal is contained in a document released on Monday by the city government in South China's Guangdong Province that seeks public comment on changes to regulations governing assistance to beggars and victims of disasters.

According to the Shenzhen Legislative Affairs Office, the Civil Affairs Bureau intends to group beggars into five categories: those who cannot provide themselves with food and accommodation, juvenile beggars under the age of 18, professional beggars, physically handicapped beggars, and beggars who may be prone to commit criminal acts.

"The classification of beggars will help the government provide services for beggars from different backgrounds and help it focus its work on needy people," said Xia Xueluan, sociological professor from Peking University.

The bureau said it plans to provide different levels of assistance to different categories of beggars.

The truly needy who seek the government's help will be offered temporary accommodation and food and a free ticket to return home.

For young people and children, who sometimes coerced into begging, the government will provide them with asylum and give them a free ticket to return to their home village.

Occupational beggars will be provided assistance to upgrade their skills and will be persuaded to return home.

The government proposal for physically handicapped beggars will focus on the principle "rescue first and assistance later."

Beggars who are considered potential criminals will be strictly monitored by the police and sent back home after their identity has been verified.

Li Jianmin, professor from the Institute of Population and Development Research in Tianjin-based Nankai University, said the city appears to be attempting to take a more humanistic approach to helping beggars and understanding the reasons why they beg.

Li said many people at the bottom rung of society have been damaged by past experiences, adding that family violence is one of the leading causes.

"As more cases of family violence are revealed, the public has become more aware of family violence victims. Making this group a target for assistance reflects an improvement in social development," Li told the Global Times.

The government proposal also provides new guidelines for helping victims of natural disasters. They will be given cash, accommodation and clothing.