A controversial plan put forward by an Egyptian member of parliament to round up street children and place them in training and rehabilitation camps overseen by retired army officers has alarmed children's rights advocates.    

"The phenomenon of street children is a serious challenge that, if left unchecked, can become a ticking time bomb," lawmaker Ayat El Haddad warned during a parliamentary hearing with Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine Kabbaj in early February.    

El Haddad's idea of placing street children in rehabilitation camps was inspired by a similar initiative undertaken by Mohamed Ali (considered the founder of modern Egypt) two centuries ago. The Albanian Ottoman governor, who ruled the country from 1805 to 1848, reportedly gathered some 300,000 street children and placed them in a desert camp in the south of the country where they were trained by master craftsmen.    

"The proposed camp would not only help build the capacities of street children, it would also deepen their sense of belonging in their communities, helping counter the threat they pose to society," she said.