Wearing face-covering clothing will be prohibited in public places where wearer identification is required.
The bill, which was earlier approved by the government, passed the lower house of the Dutch parliament. The bill will become a nationwide law if the senate votes for it. The bill prohibits wearing burqas, niqabs and other clothing entirely or partially covering the face in some public places. The ban is applied to education and healthcare facilities, public transport and government buildings. Those violating the ban could be fined about 400 euros.
Wearing face-covering Islamic veils is not very widespread in the Netherlands, but the issue of regulating wearing Islamic clothes for security reasons is actively discussed in the country. Opposition Freedom Party led by odious Geert Wilders supports a full ban on Islamic veils. Preliminary polls show the party has the highest chances of winning the parliamentary elections scheduled for March.
Wearing full-face veils is already banned in France, Belgium, Switzerland and certain regions of Spain. Germany and Austria consider introducing a similar ban.
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