Denmark became the latest European country to ban full-face veils on Thursday, effectively outlawing the burqa and niqab worn by some Muslim women. In a 75 to 30 vote on Thursday, Danish legislators passed the law presented by Denmark’s centre-right governing coalition. The law was also backed by the Social Democrats and the far-right Danish People’s Party.
The law will go into effect August 1, and fines will range from 1,000 Danish kroner ($157) to 10,000 kroner for repeated violations. Once it is in place, police will be able to tell women wearing a veil to remove it or order them to leave public places.
While some specific restrictions on the wearing of full-face veils for the purposes of public safety may be legitimate, this blanket ban is neither necessary nor proportionate and violates the rights to freedom of expression and religion.
