Ban to apply to schools, public transport, hospitals, homes for underage people, retirement homes, courthouses and public administration buildings.
Luxembourg's Chamber of Deputies voted on Thursday evening in favour of the Face Concealment Bill – dubbed the 'Burqa Law'.
The 32 Members of Parliament (MP) of the three-party governing coalition voted in favour of the bill, while the 28 members of the opposition voted against it.
The ban will apply only in public places where interaction requires meeting face to face and where, according to the government's dossier, "communication happens not only through words but also through facial expression".
Those places will include schools, public transport, hospitals, homes for underage people, retirement homes, courthouses and public administration buildings.
In other public places such as parks or the street, there will be no such ban, but communes also reserve the right to bar anyone from covering their faces during recurring demonstrations. Sports and cultural events are also exempt.
The ban will not apply if all or part of the face is hidden due to medical reasons or work-related activities.
The Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), the Democratic Party (DP) and the Greens together form Luxembourg's ruling coalition, which supported the ban. [Luxembourg Times] Read more
