Utrecht extends exclusion zones around the station and city centre
Police and enforcers in Utrecht can keep barring people who cause a nuisance from the station area, Lombok-Oost and the city centre until 1 November 2028, the municipality has decided.
The municipality of Utrecht is extending its ban zones (verblijfsontzeggingsgebieden) until 1 November 2028. The zones cover the station area, Lombok-Oost, Lucasbolwerk, Hieronymusplantsoen, Park Lepelenburg and the city centre.
Through August this year, 744 bans were imposed. The municipality says that is comparable to previous years, with somewhat fewer bans at a few places. It thinks this is because people know they can be barred there.
The separate areas are being merged on paper into one zone, Binnenstad en Lombok-Oost. The municipality says the new zone is smaller than the current areas combined but covers all current hotspots.
The municipality says the nuisance comes from people with addictions, homeless people and young people, among others.
Incidents fell to 4,278 in 2026 from 5,125 in 2025
Incidents · 2023–2026
Incidents fell to 4,278 in 2026 from 5,125 in 2025 (incidents). From 4,959 in 2023 to 4,278 in 2026; highest 5,125 in 2025, lowest 4,278 in 2026. Source: Police data, via the municipality of Utrecht.
View data
| Period | Incidents |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 4,959 |
| 2025 | 5,125 |
| 2026 | 4,278 |
Serious incidents such as assault, threats, public violence and fights stayed at a similarly high level in the city centre in 2026, the municipality says.
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verblijfsontzeggingsgebied
A ban zone is an area that a Dutch mayor designates because of persistent, structural public nuisance, where the police can immediately bar people who disturb public order from staying there. Municipalities such as Utrecht use these zones for locations like station areas and busy parks or city-centre streets. The designation is time-limited, so a municipality must extend it when it still wants the ban to apply.