Denmark’s government has announced plans to expand its ban on burkas and niqabs to educational institutions, continuing efforts to address “parallel societies” and integration issues. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s administration intends to extend the country’s 2018 law—already prohibiting face-covering garments in public spaces—to schools and universities. Legislation is expected to be introduced after Denmark’s parliament reconvenes.
The proposal targets communities where officials describe non-Western migrants as becoming socially isolated. Repeat violations of the existing ban can result in fines up to $1,570. Denmark has long maintained some of Europe’s toughest immigration policies, admitting fewer asylum seekers than neighboring countries during the 2015 migration crisis and imposing restrictions on benefits for unsuccessful applicants.
The country also enforces laws that allow authorities to redevelop neighborhoods with high concentrations of foreign-born residents and confiscate valuables from asylum seekers to cover accommodation costs. This expansion follows recent government plans to examine whether banning the Islamic call to prayer would be legally permissible.
“The call to prayer should not be heard over Danish rooftops. It has no place in Denmark, and you shouldn’t be in any doubt whether you’ve ended up in a suburb of Islamabad when you walk around Denmark,” said Morten Bodskov, a Social Democrat official.
