From DW News.

Ever heard of an “active begging ban”? Since April 2025, the German city of Darmstadt has made it illegal to approach strangers and ask for money. Under a new local rule labelled a means of “hazard prevention,” even a polite request like “Could you spare some change?” may count as an offense entailing a fine. Critics warn that it punishes the poorest — and may even be unconstitutional. Is Darmstadt’s ban on active begging even legal? Prof. Wolfram Hecker, an expert on German constitutional law and a professor at the Hessian University of Police and Public Administration, tells us it may not be. He warns that Darmstadt’s begging ban may be unconstitutional. Hecker says it’s nearly impossible for police to distinguish between someone begging and someone simply asking for the time or directions — yet both can now be penalized. Hecker sees this as an overreach that infringes on basic rights like freedom of expression and human dignity. Fining the poorest, he argues, only exacerbates social injustice.

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