Swiss government seeks to slap 'burqa ban' violators with fines of up to $1,000

13 October 2022, 14:50 | Updated: 13 October 2022, 20:25

The Swiss government is seeking to issue fines of up to 10,000 Swiss francs - around $1,000 or £887 - for anyone who breaks a ban on face coverings.

The proposal to outlaw face coverings in public settings secured a slim victory in a binding referendum last year and the government sent a draft law to parliament yesterday.

The proposal was launched by the same group that organised a 2009 ban on the construction of new minarets on mosques.

The far-right proposal does not mention Islam directly, but local politicians, campaigners and the media have dubbed the law a “burqa ban”.

Following consultations, the cabinet watered down calls to tie it in the criminal code and hit offenders with financial penalties of up to 10,000 francs.

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“The ban on covering faces aims to ensure public safety and order. Punishment is not the priority,” it said in a statement.

However, the draft law contains several exemptions, with the government suggesting that the ban may be waived on aircraft, in diplomatic premises and places of worship.

Face coverings linked to health, safety, climatic conditions and local customs would still be permitted, and there would be exemptions for advertising and artistic performances.

Masks deemed necessary for self-protection while exercising fundamental rights to expression and assembly would be permitted, provided that authorities give approval and public order is assured.

Proponents of the ban have branded facial coverings a symbol of extreme, political Islam, while Muslim groups have condemned the vote as discriminatory and promised legal challenges.

France prohibited wearing full-face veils in public in 2011, while Bulgaria, Denmark, The Netherlands, and Austria have either complete or partial bans on wearing face coverings in public.

Muslims represent around 5% of the Swiss population, most of whom have roots in Turkey, Bosnia and Kosovo.