Outside the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triopmhe, what do the Muslim girls want who ask if you speak English?

Question

I recently went to Paris and outside the major attractions had numerous Muslim girls in hijabs come up and ask if I spoke English. I travel a bit so I thought best to ignore them lest they ask me to buy some stupid junk as usually happens around tourist destinations, but still I have been left curious as to what their next line were to be if I replied 'yes.'

So does anyone who has either travelled to Paris before or who lives there know what these girls wanted?

Answer 1

They thrust a tattered postcard-size piece of paper in your hands, detailing some horrible disaster in their life in which they need you to donate many Euros to them to help them out. Their father lost his job and they have no money to feed the 36 children in the family, their sister fell off the Eiffel Tower, their dog needs emergency surgery for a life-threatening disease...

You're wise to ignore them. If you do say yes and are busy reading of their plight, one of the others could be rummaging through your daypack or bags and pockets, stealing you blind. Just say "non."

Answer 2

They are beggars, mostly from Eastern Europe actually, who don't speak French so they ask tourists for money. Either they will flat out ask for money, or tell you some story about why they need it.

Answer 3

They're just bumming around.  They're looking for a handout, trying to get you to give them money.