Austria: Begging is Banned | European Journal

Beggars are persona non grata in Austria. After a ban on panhandling in Vienna and Salzburg, now Styria has also issued a general ban, prompting a debate about discrimination and hypocrisy.In the city of Graz, the monasteries of several mendicant orders are a local testament to Christianity's tradition of support to the poor and the homeless. Supporters of the ban say that most begging is done professionally, by gangs, but the police and district attorney's office say there's no evidence to support that claim. Legal experts predict that challenges in Austria's constitutional court will soon overturn the ban.