New begging ban in Linz-Urfahr: Stricter rules from June 10th!

New begging ban in Linz-Urfahr: Stricter rules from June 10th!

Linz-Urfahr, Österreich - The Linz municipal council decided on Thursday, June 6, 2025, the expansion of a sectoral betting ban, which will come into force from June 10, 2025. This decision is based on the numerous complaints of citizens and traders as well as documented incidents by the Ordnung Service of the City of Linz. The initiative aims to improve the public order in Linz-Urfahr and prevent aggressive begging practices, as is supported by the city government. These measures reflect the growing concern of the population about the increasing organized begging in the city, especially along the main street in Urfahr.

The new begging ban is aimed at specific streets and will apply daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the exception of Sundays. Affected areas include:

• Hauptstraße on both sides from the northern end of the Nibelungenbrücke to the intersection of Hauptstraße - Freistädter Straße.
• Hinsenkamp underpass and its 5-meter radius around the entrances and stops.
• areas of Freistädter Straße, Schmiedegasse, Gstöttnerhofstraße, Blütenstraße, Gerstnerstraße, Kaarstraße and Mühlkreisbahnstrasse.
• The green market is also affected.

background of the regulation

In February 2025, the Ordinary Service documented a total of 125 cases of begging, which represents a significant increase compared to the 46 reported cases in February 2024. It is particularly worth mentioning that 35 cases were found in the area of the main street in Urfahr. A total of 578 cases of illegal begging were registered during this period. Security city councilor Dr. Michael Raml emphasizes the urgency to contain organized begging and refers to the hierarchical structures among beggar groups, which often consist of young men from Romania and Slovakia.

The current ban is motivated as part of a comprehensive approach to combat aggressive begging practices. According to the guidelines in Upper Austria, silent begging is allowed, but aggressive begging is illegal. The city of Linz shows a clear commitment to keep the quality of life for all citizens and at the same time maintain a support network for poor and homeless people.

appeal to the population

The city administration appeals to the population to report begging incidents about the "Look on Linz" platform or the citizens' service. Previous experiences with sectoral begging bans in heavily frequented urban areas have shown that such measures are effective. However, the continuous increase in cases of organized begging requires a determined action by the city and its citizens in order to effectively address the challenges of this topic.

In summary, the new sectoral ban ban in Linz-Urfahr is an important step in order to make public life in the city more secure and more pleasant. The decision of the municipal council finds broad support and will come into force on June 10 after the regulation is published in the Official Journal. The city of Linz makes it clear that it wants to encounter both the needs of its citizens and the challenges analytically and solution -oriented.