This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Denmark has joined several other European countries in banning garments that cover the face, including Islamic veils such as the niqab and burqa, in a move condemned by human rights campaigners as “neither necessary nor proportionate”. Denmark lawmakers have been mulling over the law since last year and despite fears of religious freedom, the three-party centre-right minority government, its ally the Danish People’s Party and the main opposition Social Democrats had supported the ban in 2017. The Danish government cleared that the law does not ban headscarves, turbans and traditional Jewish skull cap and it has not been passed to take an aim at any religion. "Denmark already has very strict leglisation in place to ensure that women are not forced to wear, for example, the niqab, and it can carry a penalty of up to four years," Dan Hindgaul, head of Policy and Communications at Amnesty Denmark/ "Our position is crystal clear: we want women to decide for themselves. Burqa bans, headscarves and veils: a timeline of legislation in the west Read more

The justice minister, Søren Pape Poulsen, said it would be up to police officers to use their common sense when they see people violating the law, which comes into force on 1 August. The move follows the passage of similar laws in France, Belgium and Austria amid growing anti-immigrant sentiment, but critics in Denmark say it impinges on women’s rights to dress in accordance with their religious beliefs. Van Gulik added it would “have a particularly negative impact on Muslim women who choose to wear the niqab or burqa.”

“All women should be free to dress as they please and to wear clothing that expresses their identity or beliefs,” she said.
Denmark's parliament votes 75–30 to ban garments that cover the face, which includes Islamic veils such as the niqāb and burqa. Those violating the law risk a fine of 1,000 kroner. Similar bans already exist in Austria, Belgium and France.