Abstract: A method for controlling the overflow of roaming users in a public or private mobile communication system. When the number of roaming users is greater than the number of the roaming numbers in a specific region, a newly arriving roaming user is assigned the roaming number of an inactive roaming user already registered in the network, who becomes then an overflow roaming user. Should an overflow roaming user require the use of the mobile communication functions, for example to make or receive a call, the overflow roaming user is in turn assigned the roaming number of another inactive user, who then becomes an overflow user. By this method, a number of roaming numbers can be shuffled between a larger number of roaming users and roaming users arriving into a network with an overflow of roaming users are still able to access the mobile communication functions.