British tourists heading to Switzerland are being warned they will face fines of more than £800 if they wear one piece of clothing from next year. The country’s government has announced that it will be bringing in a new ban on the clothing.
Fines of almost £900 will be handed out to anyone wearing a burqa – a one-piece veil which covers the face and body. The measure – widely known as the ‘burqa ban’ – will come into effect across all parts of Switzerland from January 1, 2025.
It has been widely condemned by Muslim groups. The ban was already established in St Gallen and Ticino following regional votes.
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But it will now be implemented country-wide after being proposed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party. The move was then narrowly passed in a 2021 referendum.
The governing Federal Council said in a statement that anyone who unlawfully flouts it in a public place faces a fine of up to £888 (1,000 Swiss francs). The ban will not apply to planes or in diplomatic and consular premises.
Faces may also be covered in places of worship and other sacred sites, the government said. People will still be able to wear facial coverings for health and safety reasons, native customs or due to weather conditions.
They will also be allowed on artistic and entertainment grounds and for advertising, Daily Mail reports. The government said that if coverings are needed for personal protection in exercising freedom of expression and assembly, they should be permitted provided the responsible authority has already approved them and public order is not compromised.
Anyone caught breaching the ban will face an administrative fine of 100 francs, which can be paid directly online. But if people refuse to pay this, they could face the maximum penalty of 1,000 francs.
In a statement in 2021, the cabinet said: “The ban on covering faces aims to ensure public safety and order. Punishment is not the priority.”
The Central Council of Muslims in Switzerland promised legal challenges to laws implementing the ban and a fundraising drive to help women who are fined. A spokesman previously said: “[The] decision opens old wounds, further expands the principle of legal inequality, and sends a clear signal of exclusion to the Muslim minority.”
The Federation of Islamic Organisations in Switzerland added: “Anchoring dress codes in the constitution is not a liberation struggle for women but a step back into the past.” Other countries also have full or partial bans on wearing face coverings in public including Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands and Bulgaria.
About five 5 per cent of the Swiss population is made up of Muslims, who are thought to have roots in Turkey, Bosnia and Kosovo.
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